After Resident Evil: The Enemy Within
by Rochelle Williams
Summary: Five years after Raccoon City's destruction, ex-citizen, Arynn Residvius comes back to find a cure. The deeper she investigates, the more she finds a connection between her family and Umbrella's hidden intentions to recruit citizens for experiments.
1. Introduction & Chapter 1

After Resident Evil: _The Enemy Within_

Introduction:

No more busy streets, familiar sounds of honking horns, or pedestrians gathered by the sidewalk corners. Those same old-fashioned business buildings from the swinging era of the 20s and rambunctious 40s were now in ruins—crumbled skeletons of their former selves. A dark-skinned female stood over-looking the outskirts of the city from the top of a steep cliff. The crater seemed to extend beyond the sight of the horizon and all she could make out was the rural silhouette of what appeared to be the small downtown strip.

_So this used to be Raccoon City…_A pleasant little town, population estimated 20,000 minus the mutations and cell-reanimation. And now all that was left were a few architectural foundations, street light posts, upheaval pavement, and a shroud of settling dust.

Five years in counting since the nuke reigned in this city. Five years of news coverage of the disaster and leaked reports of underground experimentation. Umbrella, the world's leading pharmaceutical company was now on the verge of facing extinction. Its shares and stocks were depleting in value and talks of downsizing were eminent. Looks like fate was taking it revenge out on the corporate giant, inducing a slow death. Rumors, however, suggested otherwise. Umbrella was still out there, alive and thriving.

The woman wiped away the light film of dust that swept across the tinted goggles over her eyes. The mask provided a good amount of protection from the remnants of radiation that still haunted the site.

Officials of the Bio-Chemical Research Company had once announced that they would comply with government officials and the Federal Bureau of Investigations in conducting a proper investigation of the Raccoon City Incident. That was four years ago. The city remained empty and ominous. There were no men walking around in white bio-hazard suits combing the streets for radioactive samples. No military officials standing guard to keep unwanted bystanders a way. No blacked out government vehicles or Umbrella emblem trucks. There was nothing. No one had returned to the site. The last activity was the National Guard putting up fences around the crater and labeling the site a Danger Zone.

There were talks of rebuilding the city, but the radiation was too thick to even bring in construction crews. This was indeed a Ground Zero—a Ground Zero that was never supposed to happen.

Planting a hiking hook into the ground, the young woman took out a safety bungee rope and locking gear out of her leather backpack. She tied a swift knot of rope into the metal hook and then a firm one into her belt clip. Without hesitation, she let herself drop from the cliff. Half cautious and half crazy, she climbed down the mountainous structure. She was in no hurry. The morning sun was still burning off the cool breezes of the night. She had plenty of time to scale the cliff and land in Raccoon before late afternoon.

Arynn Residvius was on a mission. Her intentions were clear from the start. She worked for no corporation or underground co-opts organization. She was here for personal reasons—to find out what really happened down there and if there really was a cure…

Chapter One:

Finally. TOUCHDOWN.

The black rubber from the bottom of Arynn's shoe landed on the ground with harsh impact. A few beads of sweat rolled off her cheek as she untied the safety rope and let it dang against the cliff. She would need this coming back up, but should something prevent her from taking this route, she had other plans to follow through with.

Taking a look around, the tall, 5'7" woman made sure that her hood was on tight and her arms and legs were covered for fear of radiation poisoning. She was risking her life coming back down here, but she didn't care. She needed to go back—back to the source—back to where it all started. Sliding her backpack around to her chest, she picked out an old city map. The map was dated 1992, there were a few structures that were missing since it was last updated. The new library and a portion of the city hall weren't there, but she knew where it was. Even with the gradual spread of the virus, she still retained the fond memories of her childhood growing up in Raccoon and the last classes she took at the University before the break out. She was 20 then. An innocent fun-loving young lady with dreams of performing in an orchestra for the world's greatest Composers. But that was all in the past, all that she knew—all that she cared for, had died in Raccoon the day of the nuke. There was no family to go back to. There were no friends to call on the phone. They were all dead. And it was Umbrella's fault.

Her eyes scanned the dusty atmosphere. She couldn't see a thing. The sun's intense raises seemed to reflect off the dusty cloud and impair her. She wanted to take off her goggles but she couldn't, she couldn't expose herself. Instead, Arynn quickly reached over her right shoulder and clicked on a small shoulder-bound PLS on her left side. She drew out a silver sleek berretta, ready for whatever lay down here. She read the top secret reports about experiments gone wrong and the endless internet rumors of people seeing the wildlife go hay-wire. The media was quick to write these rumors as pure speculation and called the poor citizens who said they'd seen these monstrosities run a mock, crazy. But Arynn didn't have to believe anybody because she saw them with her own eyes. She saw these poor souls drag their torn limbs, knaw at their own flesh, crawl and slither over each other for the next available tender morsel. The dogs and birds attacked whatever moved, even the infected citizens. No one was left alive by the time the nuke came. Arynn was lucky she escaped before the blast. Luck saved her but the regret of not saving her friends and family ate her up inside.

With caution she walked through the tough gravel terrain. Turned over cars and emaciated remains of a few trucks lay in their dusty graves along the barren streets. Shoppes that were once thriving with customers and beautifully designed clothing were now gutted out facing the world with broken exposed walls and no windows. The dust had taken over everything. It was an undisturbed wonderland of filth. It was clear that no one had set foot in the city since the bombing. She must have been the first one to see Raccoon in ruins; a true bittersweet moment.

It was silent and all that could be heard was a soft murmur of the coming wind. Arynn's attention remained focused on her peripheral vision. The eerie creak of a street sign caught her ear and she instantly aimed at it. Taking a small breath, she withdrew from the swaying "Main Street" sign and proceeded slowly down the middle of the wrecked strip. She wasn't sure what to expect coming back here. She didn't know if all the horrors that she saw were truly annihilated. There was no way she was going to put her guard down. Who knows what laid waiting in the shadows or around that next street corner?

The sun's late afternoon raises were starting to dip under the horizon and Arynn knew that darkness would fall soon. She couldn't risk being caught out in the open; she was going to have to find shelter soon. Turning the corner, she came across yet another desecrated wasteland. This time what lay ahead was a tunnel. The sign read, "Raccoon Turn-Pike." _Hmmm…shelter._ Arynn thought to herself. She turned her attention to a side alley. Down the dark path she could make out a large building. Taking out the map once again, she wasn't sure but it seemed like the building had to be the old Mercy Hospital. What she came here for no doubt had to be in that building, that is if it ever was there in the first place...

Before she could take another step into the alley, she heard an ear-shattering scream from behind her. Arynn grabbed her ears and slowly around. What stood before her was something that she could not comprehend. It had to have been a person in one point in time but judging by the scratched off flesh on its slender arms, piercing bloody pupils, long mangled nails, she wasn't sure. It gazed at her with its mouth stretched open and jaw hanging close to its collar bone. The flesh that used to be near its neck wasn't there only brittle bone and decomposed skin. It let out another scream and pointed straight at her! Arynn took a few steps back into the alley and noticed that this creature wasn't just screaming to welcome her, it had called an entourage. She held her breath as two more of these monstrosities appeared from behind buildings and cars, coming to stand next to the wretched humanoid. _What are these things? _She thought to herself as she cocked back the berretta and pulled the trigger. The bullet swiftly moved through the air and it pierced the inner tissue of the creature's opened mouth. It let out another scream and Arynn pulled the trigger yet again. This time the bullet landed point blank in one of the creatures' forehead. _There that should leave a mark._ To her horror, it did nothing. No blood flowed from the wound only a blackened hole remained. The first creature shook its body of the dust and began to walk steady towards the tense young woman.

It wasn't the creatures' movements that spooked Arynn into running, and it wasn't the deaf-ensuing screams that all three let out, it was the fact that they were running. From the zombies she remembered years ago, they could not run, their flesh was stricken with rigamortis and it was impossible for reanimated muscles to flex that rapidly. As fast she knew she was, she couldn't shake them. Their speed and agility was inhuman. She flinched as the first creature swung out its arm to hit her, she dodged the blow and kept on running. The second one made no hesitation in going straight for her arm. Its sharp fangs gleamed in the dusty sun, but the young woman showed no interest in being bit. Waiting for the right moment, Arynn took out her combat knife and sliced the creature across the face and into one of its eyes. It grabbed its face screaming in terror. To finish it off, she grabbed her gun from its holster and shot it directly in the ear. It must've been how close she was to it, because the creature let out one last scream and fell where it stood. Its dusty carcass crumbled into a fetal position. The other two showed no sign of stopping, they lunged for Arynn the moment she lowered her gun. Once again she was on the move, this time towards the eerie cream colored tomb of the once great Mercy Hospital—the place where she hated to go as a child, now a place where she had to seek refuge. Wherever that cure was, she had to start here and move fast.

Jumping through the window-less double doors, Arynn sprinted past the desecrated waiting room and Patient-Check In desk. She didn't have time to rummage through vital records; the creatures were closing in. She ran straight past the remnants of the first floor to a staircase. As Arynn ran up the collapsed steps, she came to a caved in hallway of what used to be the second floor. She didn't have to time worry about moving through the rubble, she continued up the next flight of stairs. Taking a careless step forward she almost lost her balance. There was a large gaping hole among the stairs. She almost fell right in but she caught herself and leaped up to catch the intact stair. As she grabbed for the edge, she heard the terrifying scream of one of those things right behind her. There was no way she was going to allow herself to fall to her death or into the arms of that thing.

Arynn climbed up then turned around to face the creature. To her shock, it was gone! _Where did it go_, she thought. Taking a step backward with her gun up, she looked from wall to wall and down below. It couldn't have disappeared that fast, it was impossible. Suddenly, an eerie presence loomed over her, it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand and goose bumps form on her arms. She didn't want to turn, she knew it was there. She didn't know how close, but she could sense it. Its heaving breathing was hot to her clothes. As swift as she could, she turned, shot a few rounds then dodged the creature. It sprang back with such force that Arynn found herself watching it scale the wall then come crashing down in front of her. She was face to face with it. Its deep red infected pupils looked into her eyes tilting its head sideways. As if it was thinking. She took a step back towards the hall and it followed closely. Her gun was still drawn but something in her stopped her from shooting. She never hesitated before, why was she hesitating now? Towards a nearby room she walked backwards. As she did, she tried to make sense of where she was and how she could use the location to her advantage. From the looks of it, she was going into a patient room. From the corner of her eye, she saw an old turned over bed and a blown out window along the wall. The floor was dark with shadows and filled with old dust. The creature followed her and stopped at the doorway. It clinched its fists jabbing its torn finger nails into its palms. Arynn narrowed her eyes at the sight. No blood dripped. These creatures, whatever they were, must've been from the original outbreak…their bodies showed no sign of moisture or fluid. It then lashed out at her and Arynn fell back instantly. Instead of hitting the floor, he body fell through a hole that she was unaware of. She let out a scream but she knew that no one could hear her. She landed back-first on the second floor onto sharp broken concrete. Her head hit a large gas pipe and she was knocked out cold…

Arynn's eyes opened. At first her vision was blurred. She thought her hearing was effected too but she realized that there was a deafly silence in the dark corridor. As her eyes strained to see through the foggy mask, simple objects appeared to cast shadowy images along the walls. She forced herself up and the most excruciating pain throbbed from the back of her head. She could feel the warm gush of fluid close to the back of her neck. Simple concussion, she thought. Standing up, her legs wobbled and her balance was thrown off. She shook her head to see more clearly. The debris shifted and made her slightly lose her fitting. Reaching for her holster, her gun was gone. It must've fallen somewhere, she thought. In the darkness, her leather gloves searched for the lethal weapon, crawling frantically over pebbles and broken surgical utensils. Suddenly her glove started to feel a certain substance, flexible rubber almost but life-like. First she felt a small toe at least half of one…then the contours of veins and bone. She could feel herself about to gasp but she had to keep quiet. Her gloves continued to investigate. First a foot, then the beginnings of a protruding ankle bone next the ridged portion of a calf. The calf seemed different. It was tall with lacerations where the muscles were supposed to be and deep slices into the tissue closest to the bone. Whatever this thing was, Arynn couldn't feel any warmth coming from it. But she had to make sure. She took out her knife and sliced it quick and fast. Waiting for a moan or noise to follow, she heard nothing. Just as she suspected, it was dead, whatever it was.

Turning on her shoulder light, she could now see that she had landed between a long corridor and a large room. Peering down the hall and straining to make sense of what was at the end, she noticed dusty old stretchers and more blown out glass windows. Turning back to what she sliced up, she stepped back in horror. It was definitely a person…a person who shielded themselves from whatever fate he or she couldn't escape. They were huddled in a fetal position, with arms holding together the legs and head tucked firmly down. Arynn stood silent. What puzzled her the most was how fresh the cuts were and that the person was stark naked. This person couldn't have survived the blast. What was he or she doing here? She leaned down to take a closer look. Taking her knife she moved aside the long straightened hair to the side of its face. Probing the knife further, Arynn nudged it under the chin and lifted the cranium up.

The poor individual looked serene and peaceful with its eyes closed. The last time Arynn saw a person look this relaxed was the open casket funeral of her grandmother. And then later, the dead would walk and there was no more peace just sheer terror. It was a young girl, Arynn could tell by the long curly eye lashes and pale pouty lips. But how did she manage to survive the blast? A faint noise in the room straight on startled her and she left the child-like corpse alone in its huddled tomb. Examining the room beyond the hole in the wall, something gleamed at her reflecting off of her light. It was her gun. _How in the hell did it get over there?_ She thought to herself. Going straight for it, something dark darted in front of her and Arynn instantly paused. Reaching for her knife, she stood in a stealth position waiting for the dark image to resurface its self. She was not about to get caught off guard again, this time she was ready for whatever else lay down here in Raccoon. The sudden sound of something medal falling to the old tile floor put Arynn more on edge. She knew something was here. But where?

Another dark image ran by a grimy medical storage cabinet and back towards the hole in the wall. As soon as the shadow faded, Arynn caught sight of a short human figure. Arynn recognized the bleeding slashes across the person's legs and the long hair. It was the child-like corpse! Arynn turned back to where she last saw her gun and lunged towards it. Her hand caught it and she cocked it ready to shoot. But before she could, the eerie adolescent abruptly appeared right next to her with a twist look on its face. Arynn could only aim and shoot for the head…

The child went down before it could open its mouth. Its body dropped to the floor next to Arynn. She sprang up still aiming the gun at the fallen individual. Stepping backwards out of the room and into the open hall, Arynn lifted her focus. She turned her attention on to her darkened surroundings. She wondered what else were here, first screaming zombies and now unexplainable adolescents running amuck. The only thing she could do was continue what she set out for and do it before the evening progressed on.

The second floor proved to be a waste of investigation. Arynn found nothing but more sealed rooms and blown out windows. The patient rooms seemed to hold various objects like rolls of gauss for bleeding and old pieces of paper. She remembered reading a news clipping dated the day of the outbreak. It spoke of the dead walking and hell on earth. Those words seemed familiar to her. She knew only one person who always wrote about the dead and wrote various articles concerning the end of the world. It was her friend, Daniel Roberts. He was one of the journalists for the "Raccoon Daily." Daniel was known for his apocalyptic imagination around the town. Some people liked it while others weren't too fond of it. Arynn knew that Daniel was right when he said it was "Hell on Earth". Raccoon City was the place of dead forsaken monsters and devilish intentions. It made her sad to think about what became of her friend. The last time she saw Daniel, he was yelling for her to jump from the second story window of the Editorial room. The fire inside had spread so rapidly with all the paper lying around. She couldn't, she was afraid. He said he would catch her but she wasn't so sure. Then she blinked and he was gone. All she could hear was the sound of his screams somewhere close. It was devastating. Poor Daniel.

Arynn found a secluded stair well at the end of the hall. It was much darker than the corridor and the first surgical room that she landed in. Once again she proceeded with caution. Down the stairs she went, back to the first level. She hoped that there was nothing waiting for her down there.

There was no sound, no breeze, all was stagnant and quiet. It was as if time stopped and the hospital remained silent in its dusty necropolis. Human remains were left in the positions that the blast put them in. One dirt-covered skeleton was stuck behind a table while another one was reduced to a pile next to a nearby vending machine. All hell broke loose that day and Arynn saw it all. To her left was a security room and to her right was the janitorial area. She went for the door labeled "security." Inside there was no dirt from the streets or any type of disturbance. Only papers on the floor and turned off monitors. On the wall was a key rack. To Arynn's surprise two single keys still remained. She reached for one that read, "001" while the other read, "B4." _Hmmm…_ she thought to herself. _These keys must lead to somewhere_. Stuffing them into her chest pocket, she continued to snoop around the small room. On the wall opposite the monitors, was a layout of the hospital grounds inside of a glass covered bulletin board. She used the back of her gun to bang through and took the map. It was definitely going to come in handy. There was another piece of paper stuck to the board. It called attention to a certain room in one of the basement levels. Room B4. It had caution typed in bold plastered on the top and bottom of the sheet. There was also a symbol that Arynn had known far too well…the Umbrella symbol with a bio-hazard sign next to it. Whatever she was looking for had to be there…

She left the room and hoped to find another batch of stairs leading down to the subterranean levels of the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Pointing her shoulder light towards the stairs below, Arynn kept her attention on the dark path. The air smelt stale. The dust was thick. She ran a finger across the rail bar and layers of earth clung onto her glove. No one had been down here since the blast. She was one the last to see Raccoon in all its glory and the first to see it in all its ruin. As Arynn continued down to the lower level, she saw more stretchers and observing rooms. She peered through the window of one of the rooms to her left. There was an old operating table and a curtain divider set aside. Around in the room was the typical hospital tile floor and sink for surgeons to wash their hands. She reached over and opened the door to the room.

Inside, she shined her light on the old tools next to the operation stretcher. The tools amazingly looked shiny and untouched. They were placed neatly in their designated spots. It was as if they were prepared for an operation that never took place those five years ago. Arynn wondered who the lucky person was, who was going under the scalpel. This was one of the main reasons why she didn't like hospitals. The surgical tools made her cringe at the thought of humans cutting open other humans. Slicing with precision into rib cages and using laser technology to cut away diseased tissues. She wanted no part of the medical field. She looked beyond the table and to a pair of lockers against the wall. Opening up the first one, she found a few old memo pads inside. The first one in the pile was full of operating procedures and protocol. The second was sign-ins of surgeons who had operated on patients the day of the blast. Half of the last page was blank. _Guess that's when it happened_…Arynn thought. The last memo was peculiar. A name kept popping up. At first she didn't notice it but towards the end of the second page it was there again…Sabriel. She wondered who this Sabriel was and why was he mentioned on every page? The memo said something about a chemical accident in a room on one of the basement levels. Arynn was curious.

Suddenly a clatter of what sounded like nails made her look up from the memo. She was facing the locker when she heard a faint hiss. It echoed slightly reverberating off the lockers. She began to reach for her knife. Arynn began to feel a dampness seeping into her shoulder like drops of rain. She didn't remember water being on anywhere in the building. Her hand reached to feel a drop of thick fluid. She looked at it in her shoulder light with a disgusted look. More was dropping now and the hissing seemed to come from above. With her knife drawn she looked up and saw a hideous dark red figure attached to the ceiling. Its eyes glowed in a serious tone as its mangled flesh shifted against gravity's will. A long protruding tongue slid out of its grinning mouth and swayed in the darkness at Arynn. Her eyes widened. Before she could react it sprang down from the ceiling.

"Move!" she heard a voice yell from the other side of the room.

With her quick reflexes, she jumped out of the way just as the creature landed on all fours hard into the ground. The loud blasts of a strong gun rang throughout the room and she put her gloves over her ears. She didn't know what type of gun it was but it was powerful. She could see the creature get up and run towards the shooter.

A tall figure in a desert camouflage get-up and a ventilator mask stood firm firing his weapon at the approaching creature. He took the thing head on and they fell to the ground in a struggle. Arynn got up and took her gun from her holster. She aimed at the two images locked in a deadly fight. The tongue of the creature wrapped itself around the mysterious shooter's neck. But the shooter continued to keep a firm grip on the monster as he wiped out a rather large military dagger. When the shot was right, Arynn fired straight for the thing's head and it collapsed instantly from the blow.

The shooter pushed it from off of him. Arynn offered her hand and the man took it. She helped him up. He brushed off the slim and excretion fluid that the creature smothered on him. As he put his dagger back in its holder, he kept his eyes away from the young woman.

"Gotta name?" he asked without hesitation.

She put her hands on her hip putting away her gun.

"Arynn…"

The man took a deep breath and loaded a clip into his graphite magnum.

"What are you doing here? I thought this place was off limits to civilians…"

"I'm not a civilian…" she trailed off as she left the room and went into the hall.

The shooter casually walked out the room and stood in the hall watching her walk.

"This is no place for a civilian vigilante" he called out.

She stopped walking and turned to face him at the end of the corridor.

"If you're looking for a thank you, you're wasting your time."

"Well, miss, you're wasting your time coming here. There's nothing left," he replied sternly.

"Look, whoever you are, just stay out of my way." Arynn said as she turned and disappeared around the corner. Blowing off the man, she rolled her eyes and continued to descend another stairwell.

"You're not going to get rid of me that fast," she heard him say as she discovered that he was walking a few steps behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned back.

"What do you want?" She stated in a harsh tone.

"The same thing you're looking for," he continued.

"And what exactly is that."

"I think you already know…" he lowered his tone as he took the lead and started to descend the stairs before her.

Arynn thought to herself, was this man serious? There was no way in hell that he was going to find the cure before she was. This man could not be trusted, whoever he was. She started for the stairs after him immediately.

"By the way, since you didn't ask. I'm Peter." He continued.

"What organization are you with, Peter?" she sarcastically asked him as the two followed each other further down the flight of stairs.

"Federal Bureau of Investigations…"

"Ahh…I see. The Feds trying to get involved now?" Arynn said as she rolled her eyes.

"Nah, we've had tabs on Raccoon for quite some time now. But a few of us have gone in and none have returned."

"What happened?"

"No one knows. My team came out to investigate. But we were ambushed and I've been out here since..."

"What are you investigating?"

When she didn't receive an answer, she looked up and knew why. Peter had his gun drawn automatically. She followed his serious gray eyes to the dark hallway and the shadowy figures huddled over something in the middle of the hall. She whipped out her pistol and kept her focus on the horrific event.

"What are those things?" she asked the shooter.

"Gandharvas…" he whispered.

"What the hell are those?" she whispered back.

"Mix of Cerberus and Lickers. Their hearing is precise and they have two pairs of jaws. It's a result of constant inbreeding and gene splicing."

"How do you know all this?" Arynn continued as she watched one of the creatures tear an arm from off of the victim and eat it whole. Its jaw had seemed to unhinge its self from its cranium like a snake and took the whole limb in. Arynn closed her eyes tight as she heard the animal humanoid chomp and chew on the bones. When it was done, it swallowed both tissue and bone. Arynn began to shake as she saw Peter continue to take another step. She grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Are you out of your mind? Did you see what that thing just did?" she nearly cried out trying to keep her voice down.

"I am aware of that." He answered her sternly, "Just follow me and nothing will happen…"

"Wait," Arynn said as she hesitated to move, "you never answered my question. How do you know all this?"

"I worked for Umbrella's research team."

She stopped on the stairs. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was the enemy. He and his employees were the cause of all this.

"So you know everything about these Gandharvas? How do you know they won't rip us to shreds?" she continued to probe him.

Peter sighed. "I know…because…I created them…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Arynn fell quiet as she watched Peter continue to step down the stairs. She could feel the fear creep up the small of her back as she stood motionless. Peter's stare through his mask was intense and his body was firm. He didn't hesitate to step off the last step and towards the two mutated beasts. Arynn didn't want to watch this man get mauled to death, but she had feeling that something bad was about to happen. She just hoped that she didn't have to be the one to see it.

Peter unhooked an assault rifle from a strap along his back and aimed at the beasts. His infrared laser scope locked onto one of the beast's twisted muscular arms. The bleeding strands of exposed muscle tissue that coiled around patches of wet fur suggested that the beasts inherited their Cerberus parents' K-9 traits. Their shortened snouts and jagged double sets of teeth and jaw structure were products of an insane screwed up experiment gone completely wrong. Peter cocked back his gun and the click of the load produced a faint sound. The beasts immediately looked up in Peter's direction. Arynn drew her pistol shaking. One of the beasts stopped eating and started for Peter. But the shooter already had pulled his trigger and the bullet plastered through the side of the gandharva's rib cage underneath its arm. What followed was a series of gurgled hisses and high-pitch screams. The other creature hissed at Peter while the wounded one stood stationary clawing at its wound. It completely ignored the agent and ferociously tore at the damaged flesh.

"What the hell is it doing?" Arynn yelled as she watched in disbelief.

"It's getting rid of what it doesn't need" Peter said back.

"What?" Arynn responded as she continued to watch the abomination rip off layers of skin to get to the bullet. Blood and tissue oozed out of its wound and onto the floor.

Arynn took a shot at the other beast. The bullet only grazed its arm. What impossible, she though, I know I hit him.

"If you value your life, you won't do that again…" Peter's voice trailed off as he stepped closer to the wounded gandharva.

"The hell I won't!" Arynn replied as she fired another shot, this time in the creature's neck causing massive bleeding. The major artery that she hit was gushing blood but the creature continued to come at her. Peter caught it off guard, grabbed its enormous back and fired into the same spot as he did the first creature. This time instead of the gandharva scraping at its tissue to take out the bullet, it buckled and collapsed on the floor. It struggled to regain its composure but fell back squirming. Peter aimed for the other side of the creature's rib cage and fired again. The other gandharva finally found the bullet and scooped it out with its mangled claws. Once it did, it started for Arynn. She held her breath and aimed at its head.

"Aim for the side," she heard Peter call out as the creature edged closer.

She did but missed. Arynn took a few steps back and the creature snarled lashing its long tongue out at her. Her bullets weren't having an effect on it. She holstered her pistol and quickly reached up and over into her backpack. She pulled out a gleaming sleek desert eagle. The clicking of the gandharva's claws running along the ceiling was getting close to her. She silently aimed straight for its forehead as it ran top speed. With one bullet, she hit him point blank and he fell onto the hard concrete floor. To Arynn's shock, a smokey odor rose from the fallen monstrosity. Peter turned immediately back to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her from the stairs.

"Hey!" she spoke as he dragged her from the sight of the two dead gandharvas.

They got to the end of the corridor and came to a fork in their path. Two tunnels leading in opposite directions further into the darkness awaited them. Echoes of groans and growls came from the right end of the tunnel. Arynn narrowed her eyes to make out shadowed figures fast approaching. Peter turned and his eyes widened. There were more of those things coming! Never letting go of Arynn's arm, Peter took the tunnel to the left. It was evident that no one had been down in these tunnels since the explosion. The air was even more stagnant and motionless. The ground was dusty with debris from the ceilings. The light fixtures that were still intact produced no energy. Only Arynn's shoulder light and Peter's belt light showed through the thick haze of dust. It seemed like they were running with no end in sight. Arynn could hear Peter's deep breathing through the mask. The ventilators were not going to last much longer down here without fresh air to filter through. The longer they stayed down here, the more they would suffocate. Coming to a corner, Peter held out his gun and leaned along the wall to scope out what was at the end. As he did, Arynn turned back hoping the gandharvas weren't there. Not only were they still following closely behind but her calculations were off. There were a handful of them coming. The gandharva on the far right stuck out long protruding claws and ran them alongside the concrete wall, making a high-pitch irritating noise. Arynn grabbed her ears. Peter immediately turned to the noise.

"Sh**…" he muttered as he took Arynn once again.

The young lady already had her desert eagle drawn and was about to fire a round into the gandharva when Peter put his hand in front of the gun. She looked at him in bewilderment.

"Are you insane!" she yelled.

"No," he said, "I'm smart…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she replied as her eyes narrowed.

"--Means that, if you shoot and you hit 'em, we're done for."

He started around the corner and Arynn quickly followed. They ran down another long dark corridor. This time, their PLSs could not penetrate the heavier atmosphere of the dust and they practically ran blind. Murmurs of the gandharvas were starting to fade and Arynn briefly glanced behind to see. She let out a small sigh relieved that they were nowhere to be seen. She stopped abruptly as she continued to hear groans and growls followed by hissing. But where was it coming from? Peter had continued on not knowing that his female companion had ceased to move. He disappeared into the darkness. Where are those things, she wondered as her light probed the distilled air. Something caught her attention along the wall. There was a dark shadow moving rapidly through the dust. Arynn shrieked. Her eyes darted to the other side and saw that the figures were there too. The gandharvas had doubled in number and were freakishly running erratic along the concrete wall! She turned and ran into the darkness. There was no other direction to go in, except deeper into the abyss of the tunnel. Arynn hoped that there was another door or stairs at the end of this hall; she couldn't take another corner of hallways. If it was up to her, she would've shot all those gandharvas and that would've been the end of it, but she took Peter's advice. She thought about the lethal odor that emerged from the fallen gandharva and how she felt a little nauseated when the stench got to her. Even with the mask on, it seeped through and into her sinuses.

Finally she reached the end and there was a solid metal door. She turned the hook knob and the door opened. She didn't hesitate to run in. Arynn locked the door behind her and looked around the small room. There were papers everywhere similar to the sight upstairs, but this time the room was twice the size and there was a huge computer archive and record cabinet in the middle of the floor. Moving around the room quietly, Arynn glanced at old computer monitors and hard drive towers still sitting neat in their designated areas.

"Too bad, there's no power," Arynn whispered to herself as she scoped out the rest of the room.

Off to the side, she saw a narrow wooden door. At first she thought it was a closet but something made her want to take another look. With one hand on the knob and the other on her desert eagle, she opened the door and peeked inside.

Her shoulder light revealed something entirely different. It was a vast room, probably the size of the first floor waiting room and emergency room together, with miniature incubator tanks stationed in the middle and medical machinery along the dark walls. Arynn walked in and closed the door behind her. Pointing her desert eagle out in the darkness, something bright and reflective caught her eye from one of the incubator tanks.

She walked up to one. The light inside had long burnt out and the water inside showed evidence of neglect. Greenish shrubs of vegetation floated and swayed to an unknown rhythm. There was something attached to the bottom of the tank. As Arynn leaned in for a closer look, her heart began to race. The mutation had arms and legs, even a head. It resembled an undeveloped fetus in late term pregnancy. Arynn grabbed her chest to feel the rapid beating. There was something not right about the way the fetus looked. Where the eyes should've been there were none. Where the nose and mouth were there also was nothing. The fetus was faceless.

"My god…" Arynn whispered as she felt the coming of nausea, "What were they doing down here…"

"Creating the perfect soldier…" answered a familiar tone in one of the dark corners of the room.

Arynn looked up and out into the darkness. Peter appeared with his weapon at his side.

"But why?" Arynn struggled as her vision began to blur.

"Why not? It was all for a greater cause…" Peter continued.

"What, a cause in playing god!" the young woman managed before grabbing her stomach in pain.

She went down and Peter instantly caught her. He held her in his arms as she went in and out of consciousness.

"No…" he whispered, as her eyes began to close, "a cause in creating someone…like you…"

All she saw before she went out was the eerie tint of dark gray in his eyes like the last gloomy day of Raccoon City before the outbreak.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

When she finally came to, she found herself on an old operating table alone and in the dark. She was getting tired of the dark. But it was this same dark that led her back to Raccoon. She wondered how long she would be down here looking for this "so-called" cure. And was there even a cure? Arynn was sure that Peter would know the answer, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to go dig deeper.

She sat up on the cold metal surface looking around. The sour taste of vomit pervaded her mouth and she looked around for anything liquid to get rid of the wrenching flavor. But there was nothing. Noticing that her backpack and guns were gone, Arynn wondered where they were and most importantly where was Peter. She couldn't remember a thing—she must've blacked-out. What was the last thing that Peter said to her before she passed out? Nothing came to mind. She looked down at her wrist to see what time it was and she noticed that her arms were bare and exposed. Arynn held her breath. She was breathing contaminated air! As she breathed it in, surprisingly nothing impaled her. She reached down to feel her legs; they were both exposed and cold. The only thing she had to cover herself was her black tank-top and black shorts. Hopping off and landing on her feet, she felt a little woozy. Her feet were also bare and the dark floor was cold to the touch.

The small room that she was in was empty except for a steel door and an observing window. Why was she in here? Reaching for the door, the knob wouldn't budge. It was locked. Arynn moved back to the observing window and put her head close to the glass. She cupped her hands around her face in hopes to see what was on the other side of the window. Unfortunately she could see nothing. It was a one way window. Whoever was behind the glass was most likely watching her, studying her, exploiting her.

She could hear a sudden loud noise coming from behind the door. Arynn moved to the wall and put her ear against its cool dusty surface. She heard voices. At first there was a male voice and then a female. They definitely didn't sound like zombies. There were muffled sentences and ample tones suggesting an actual conversation.

Suddenly there was a loud bang coming from the door and through the glass Arynn saw dark shadows moving erratically. She edged herself slowly a way and back towards a corner far from the window. She wasn't sure what was going on. But she was ready to defend herself no matter whom or what it was. She clenched her fists and prepared herself as the bangs got louder and the steel door rattled. At any minute that door would come falling down and Arynn would have to face whatever came through. Her heart stopped and all fell quiet as she gasped to see someone enter. The person that entered was wearing the same black commando suit as Peter with its mask covering its face. The individual stood much taller and thicker than Peter. He saw Arynn and instantly aimed his rifle at her. She closed her eyes accepting her eminent fate, waiting for the trigger to pull and the bullet to tear through her like a rushing train. She was ready for death. She had been ready since she fled Raccoon with zombie bites embedded in her neck and in her legs.

"Get down on the floor!" A male voice shouted from behind the mask.

Arynn immediately dropped to the concrete and put her hands behind her head. She knew the position; she was no stranger to the law.

"What are you doing here!" the commando shouted as he came around the operating table towards Arynn.

"I ...Don't…Know!" she slowly called back.

He grabbed her arms and made her stand up. His grip was hard and forceful.

"Move!" he shouted as he pressed her out of the room into a larger well lit enclosure.

Arynn looked around briefly and didn't recognize the room at all. It looked like it was an old doctor's office. A wooden desk was still intact while the walls were decorated nicely with classical Greek portraits. By the looks of it, someone had been here recently…the room showed no signs of dust or neglect. A door leading to a dark hall was wide open and Arynn could see numerous beams of light flashing in different directions. She wondered who the lights belonged to. She caught a quick glimpse of some black pants hanging over the doctor's swivel leather chair. The commando pushed her out of the room and into the cold draft of the corridor.

Two other military-type individuals walked up to the man and Arynn. They were dressed alike but their heights were different.

"Found a survivor," the man said as he looked over at Arynn.

The short slender commando stepped up to the confused Arynn. Through the mask, Arynn could see the person's bright blue eyes.

"Who you are? What are you doing down here?" a female voice greeted her. The tone was stern and serious, yet alluring.

"I'm just as confused as you are." Arynn replied as she looked away.

The woman drew closer, taking her gun and using the shaft to turn Arynn's head slowly back to her direction.

"What's your name? Shall we start there?" the female questioned.

"Step back, Patterson," called out another commando, who came walking from out of the darkness holding his rifle in one hand. He motioned for her to step away then took Arynn by the arm and led her a few steps back into the office away from his comrades.

"You've been exposed. Do you know how long you've been down here?" he asked as he lowered his voice.

Arynn sighed. "No I don't. I blacked out and when I woke up, your friend over there tried to shoot me."

The commando looked in his fellow commando's direction; the fellow commando looked at him then quickly a way.

"Well I will apologize for Hernandez. We weren't expecting to find survivors down here. …especially since the explosion…" the man said.

"I'm not from the explosion…" Arynn replied avoiding eye-contact.

"Then where are you from?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter. If you're going to interrogate me then do it someplace else. I don't have time for this…"

The commando stepped back then grabbed her by the arm.

He spoke under his breath, "You know that attitude won't get you far down here."

"Do you think I care?" Arynn blurted out, calling attention to herself.

"You know if you're a little bit nicer, I'm sure I could help you with those pants over there. Seeing as you have nothing to cover those legs of yours." His voice trailed off as he directed her using his gun towards the pants on the chair.

He had a point. Her body was shivering already and without her jacket, pants, and boots, she would probably freeze to death down here.

"Its Arynn…" she spoke quickly.

"Ahh, that's much better…" the lead commando responded.

He walked over to the pants, used his gun to lift them up, and then threw them at her. She caught them and immediately started to slip them on but stopped when she noticed that the commando was watching her.

"Do you mind?" she questioned him sternly.

"I do," he replied bluntly, "The moment you try to run, I have my eye on you and my associates over there will not hesitate to take you out."

She ignored him and finished zipping up the crotch. It felt better with something on her skin. Now to if I could find some boots, she thought.

The rest of group looked up and watched the lead commando escort her back out.

"Let's move out." He ordered.

The group got into position with their rifles drawn and their attentions alert. They then aimed their belt personal light sources towards the hall ahead and proceeded down. The lead commando firmly held onto Arynn's arm as they followed from behind.

"Where are we going?" Arynn asked as she felt the cold devour her feet making her shiver.

"This isn't an interrogation room, remember?" the man stated.

"Right…" Arynn sarcastically replied.

She had many questions concerning who these individuals were, who they worked for, and if they had anything to do with Peter. They dressed the same as him yet they seemed to go by protocol rather than instinct. Peter must've been a rogue. He did say that he got separated from his group. Arynn narrowed her eyes in thought, maybe this was his group. Then she remembered that he said he was the only one left. So if that was the case, then who were these people?

The further they went, the more the corridor turned from dark and dusty concrete to a more arched tunnel with strobe lights. After walking for what seemed like hours, the group came to a dead end.

Hernandez put up a fist and everyone fell back with rifles drawn. He leaned up against the wall and reached for the knob. As he turned it he slowly readied his gun to shoot at anything that might come through that door. When everything was clear, they lowered their weapons and followed the 6'3" man into the next area.

When Arynn entered, she saw that they were all walking on a metal grill platform. The bars below were even colder to her feet and she wished that she had her stuff. She felt vulnerable and exposed to everything. The nauseated sensation in her stomach seemed to still loom over her but she couldn't let it over take her again. She had to be strong. The rush of water below caught her attention through the grid. They must've tapped into the hospital's sewage area.

Off to the left, there were two sub-levels of stairs leading to various parts under the hospital. Without proper maintenance it seemed like various forms of plant-like vegetation was thriving down here. The fabled herbs in all their glory were found along tiny fractures in the concrete infrastructure. Taller more wild plants thrived closer to the water below. Arynn was surprised that there even was running water. It must've blown through the pipes and overflowed the reservoirs above. As they descended the stairs, underneath them, was a small alcove above the rushing river. Arynn focused on a dark shadow that seemed to loom between the dimmed light and the darkness. Whatever it was, she wasn't too sure about getting close to it.

Hernandez was the first to come off the stairs.

"Hernandez, Patterson," the lead commando called, "Go investigate that area, find what you can and report back to the rendezvous--," he looked down at his watch "—in 1400 hrs. Marks and I will continue on with the survivor." he spoke without even giving them eye-contact.

"Let's go," Hernandez waved to Patterson.

The female followed closely after the tall soldier towards the dark alcove right under the stairs. She had her rifle drawn which seemed to be too big for her but the way she held the weapon had a type of feminine appeal to it. Hernandez on the other hand as all brute force, he seemed like the "trigger happy" type.

The group separated and Arynn continued her journey now into the heart of the hospital compound.

The male commando and his female counterpart slowly entered the dark cave. Drops of water hitting the floor could be heard a few yards in. The duo had their rifles drawn and lights focused on a pivotal focal point. Hernandez took the lead while Patterson covered the rear looking back a few times to make sure their path was clear should they return immediately.

"What do you think we're looking for in here?" Hernandez asked in a half whisper.

"I don't know…" Patterson answered in a light raspy voice. She let out a small cough.

"Thought you said that was going away," he spoke.

"I thought so too."

They continued to scourer the cave. It definitely was not a smooth tunnel. From the looks of it, someone or something had dug this tunnel some time ago. The walls were ridged and jagged with sharp stone. The surface was wet and showed signs of vast of amounts of water invading every so often.

"What do you think did this?" Patterson asked as they continued to creep ahead.

"I'm not sure," Hernandez answered pointing his gun in all directions making sure to watch for things on the ceiling, along the walls, and in front of him.

The cave grew darker and the only light were the beams coming from their personal light sources.

A soft rather faint murmur echoed through the cave and caught their attention. They immediately stopped.

"Did you hear that?" Patterson's voice questioned with a hint of awkwardness.

"Yea," Hernandez answered, looking around, "Let's keep going." He urged.

They started walking this time slower and more alert. The echoing murmur seemed now to be getting louder the more they got further into the enclosure.

Hernandez was getting irritated; he didn't want to investigate the cave he wanted to lead the group back to the rendezvous to question that survivor. As far as he was concerned this was a sheer waste of time.

"I think Tripper has taken a liking to that woman," Patterson said as they continued.

Hernandez grinned. It always seemed like Patterson read his mind sometimes. Out of all the missions that they had been on in the last couple of years, not once did she let him down on duty or off.

"What are you jealous?" he questioned her with a sarcastic undertone.

"Pssh…." She joked, "Are you serious?" she blurted.

Hernandez simply chuckled to himself, making sure to keep a weathered eye for any sudden movement. Just then, he saw something white and short stick its head out from the side of the open end of the cave. He stopped. Patterson followed.

"What. What is it?" she whispered.

He put his hand up to quiet her as he aimed his gun on the outer edge.

Patterson aimed her gun as well but still confused on what she was aiming at.

"I saw something…" Hernandez's voice trailed as he closed one eye and kept the other focused like a hawk.

"What was it?" Patterson asked.

"I don't know…it looked like—"

Before he could finish, a small pale being walked silently from nowhere into clear view in the opening of the cave. The small person was naked…with deep gash wounds in his neck, shoulders and legs. It looked like he had been bitten numerous times and whatever did this to him have taken vital tissue as well. The boy was missing an ear, a few fingers, and even part of his hip.

Patterson couldn't believe what she was seeing. Neither could Hernandez. He wanted to vomit but he managed to hold it down.

"We gotta do something…" Patterson whispered as she came next to her fellow comrade.

"We gotta shoot it." Hernandez said aiming the gun at the child.

The child's expression was blank and unreadable.

"We can't, we have to take back evidence of occupation," Patterson suggested.

"I know what my mission is down here, soldier," Hernandez pointed out to her standing between her and the ghastly child.

"Then act like it," she scolded him.

"Gene, do not test me" he responded harshly.

"Well maybe if you weren't trying to talk to that captive, then I wouldn't have to, Edward!"

"Look, let's kill this thing and get the hell out of here, alright?" he pleaded with her throwing his hand up in the air.

She sighed. They turned back to the kid and it was gone.

"See what happened." He said, "Now the target has disappeared."

"F**k you, Eddie" Patterson replied as she passed him up and cautiously stepped out of the cave and into a large room.

"Nah I don't think so, dear, we've already been down the road…not impressed." He sarcastically spoke.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes. He softened a little and calmed down. He came up to her and patted her firmly on the butt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. But this sure's hell isn't the time to fight about it."

She turned and as soon as she did, she found herself standing right in front of the child. A Patterson gasped. Hernandez had his rifle drawn automatically.

"Take a step back, Patterson" he told her.

She did but the child stepped with her almost as if anticipating her movements.

She aimed her gun and shot the child in the chest. The bullet penetrated the young boy's chest cavity but there was no blood. The wound fused together and the child stood silent.

"Oh my god," Patterson whispered. The child took another step closer to her.

A familiar voice rang over Patterson's radio. It was the lead commando wondering about their whereabouts. Hernandez ignored his superior and shot the child in the head. The child fell back a few steps but remained standing.

"Hernandez…" Patterson's voice started to shake, "Help me."

The solder grabbed his friend and they took off running back to the cave. Patterson covered the rear and fired her rifle as the child. To her horror more children emerged. When she turned back, she saw that Hernandez had stopped and he was facing three little boys at the other end of the cave.

"What the hell…" he stated.

Patterson got on her radio and cried out, "Sir, we're surrounded. We need immediate backup now! There are too many of them. The bullets aren't stopping them."

There was no response on the other end.

The same child was now stepping slowly towards Patterson. She took a step back towards Hernandez. Taking out her berretta, she aimed at his head. She fired and this time, the child dodged it. Her eyes widened and the next thing she knew. The child had unhinged his jaw and instantly latched sharp fangs onto her hand. She let out a rattling scream and Hernandez turned in her direction. He was horrified. Like a pit bull, the child would not let go. The taste of blood seemed to excitement him even more and his jaw climbed up her arm. Patterson's screaming drowned out the murmurs that the other boys were starting to make. Hernandez fired more rounds at the child and it let go of Patterson's arm. When she looked at it, her entire hand and wrist were gone, only a stub of ripped flesh remained. In shock, she fainted.

"Gene? Gene!" Hernandez shouted as he gathered her unconscious body. He tried to remain focused on the children who were drawing near. What the hell were these things? Where was Marks, where was Tripper? He didn't want to die not like this…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The three were following a concrete pathway along the rushing river. The extent of Umbrella's chaos had reached the marine life. Arynn had so far seen eerie looking fish. Fish with double tails, fish with four sets of eyes, fish with nubs resembling undeveloped limbs. She thought back to the experiment in the archive room. What exactly were those scientists doing down here? And more importantly what other research projects had Umbrella conducted deeper underground? Arynn knew about the lickers, the Cerberus, the B.O.W., even the Tyrant proto-types but what she experienced down here was unbelievable. From the Gandharvas to the screaming zombies, she hoped that there was nothing else down here. If there was, then she would have to hit it with all she had.

The lead commando still had his grip on her arm while the other commando walked in front of them. Both men remained quiet in their stealth mannerisms. Arynn looked away from them and right to the fractured cracks on the hospital sub-level wall. A static noise came over one of the men's radios. The second in command took out the device and listened closely to it. He tried to make out the awkward noises coming from it. The lead commando stood still watching him. Arynn heard muffled murmurs. It sounded human but there was a strange nature to it. It sent shivers through her. Something wasn't right.

"Hernandez? Patterson?" the second commando called out.

The static and murmurs stopped and there was only silence.

"I don't like this, sir," he continued, "We should go back…"

The lead commando rubbed his gloves on his covered chin in thought. Arynn knew that he had to make a tough decision. Either way, there were bound to be more surprises up a head and probably far back.

"Let's not stray from the reason why we came down here, Marks." The lead commando said.

Marks turned down the radio and put it slowly back onto his belt. He then started on the path again. The lead commando took up Arynn's arm and continued on. The young lady thought about the main reasons why she never joined the military. This was one of those reasons, the orders and the protocol. No matter what, they had to be followed even if it meant death. She would've never made it in the military or any other organized militia; she didn't believe in authority and the "big brother" telling individuals what to do, how to live, and how to co-exist with each other. She took a sigh and the lead commando looked down at her.

"Got something to say?" he asked.

"No…"

"By the looks of it, you do…" he said without batting an eye.

"Just don't agree with leaving people behind…" she said quietly.

His pace slowed down a little.

"We came down here for a reason. And that reason does not include delaying time."

"Don't you think that the more of you there are, the faster the mission can be completed?" she asked.

He stopped and looked down at her with intense brown eyes. Arynn folded her arms and looked away.

"That's a price that I am willing to pay," he simply stated.

"Then believe me, you won't get far down here." She said.

The other commando had too stopped and was watching.

"This mission is as good as finished. Once we get what we came here for everything that's happen down here will not be lost in vain." He spoke. There was a potent tone about his voice that grabbed Arynn's attention.

"Nothing is worth the lives of others," she said.

Frantic yells came from Marks' radio. The lead commando and Arynn looked from each other to Marks.

"You'd be surprised what money can do given the right circumstances and motivation…" he whispered.

"Tripper, it's Hernandez," Marks said holding the radio in one hand and his weapon in the other.

"What is he saying?" Tripper asked walking towards him.

"I'm not sure."

"Alright," The leader replied pausing. Arynn watched him. She wondered what was going through his head.

"I guess we have time to spare…" he finally said.

He started heading back, this time in the lead and Marks taking responsibility over Arynn.

"Hernandez," Marks called over the radio, "Patterson, what's your position?"

There was still silence.

It took them a moment to reach the stairs that they first separated at. Through the cave off to the left, Tripper walked followed by Arynn and Marks. As they entered, they were stunned to see to bodies lying in the damp pathway. The able men at once ran over to what appeared to be Patterson and Hernandez. Arynn stood her ground cautious of her surroundings. She heard Marks call Hernandez's name. No response. Marks then pulled up the man's coat sleeve and felt his wrist for life signs.

"There's a pulse." He stated a little relieved.

Tripper slowly put down Patterson's arm. Something caught his attention and he called Marks over. In curiosity, Arynn walked over to the individuals. Her eyes widened.

"What the hell happened to her hand?" Tripper questioned in disgust.

"It looks like something bit it clean off" Marks suggested.

"Those f**ers ate it…" whispered Hernandez as he strained to get up.

Marks immediately rushed over to help him. Hernandez struggled with pain. He was injured but not severely.

"Hernandez, what are you talking about? What happened to Patterson?" Tripper called out as he lifted up Patterson's body and gently placed her over his shoulder.

Hernandez was quiet.

"Answer me, soldier" Tripper called out as he started for the beginning of the cave.

"I choose not to, sir" Hernandez lowered his voice.

Marks helped his fellow partner as they left the cave. Arynn stayed behind and examined the cave structure. Could the Gandharvas have eaten Patterson's hand and left the two soldiers to die? From what she witnessed back with Peter, the Gandharvas ate body parts at will and didn't seem to leave meals behind. It puzzled her. Why would a Gandharva only eat a part of Patterson's arm and leave both her and Hernandez in one piece? Could it have been something else? She quickly left and picked up after the rest of the group.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The dirt paths and eroded tunnels once again changed structure. Upheaval concrete and fallen boulders narrowed the path as Marks helped Hernandez across the uneven surface. Tripper made sure to keep Patterson from hitting the concrete that stuck out from the ceiling.

Once the jagged walls subsided and the dirt path turned back into solid concrete again, the group quickly stepped out of the tunnel and into a cave-like structure. There was path a head forming a concrete bridge with hand rails. In stealth with weapons drawn, the group carefully crossed. The only light seemed to come from underneath the water, very faint and giving off an aqua-tinted spectacle. Arynn wondered if the there were still back-up generators giving off some sort of light source. Marks and Tripper were in the lead with the fallen soldiers while Arynn took the rear, watching her back every so often.

Taking a brief unsuspecting glance back, she did a double-take. She stopped abruptly and turned around. There was a young boy standing at the other end of the bridge. His expression was blank and his eyes were a dark red. There was something eerie about the grin that quickly developed on his face. A deep raspy murmur started from his little body and seemed to echo through the cave. The rest of the crew stopped and turned. Hernandez' expression became horrified. He knew that sound and it scared him more than anything.

"Sh**!" he yelled.

"What. What is it?" Tripper replied turning to see what the commotion was about.

"We gotta get the f**k out of here!" yelled a hysterical Hernandez.

"It's a child." Marks stated as he stood next to Arynn.

"That's no child, man," Hernandez said as he started to take a few steps back away from everyone and away from the child.

Tripper eyed the kid suspiciously. Arynn had seen something in the commando's eyes; it was a look of familiarity. As she watched him take steps back to the opposite side of the bridge, she knew that he knew something.

"Get back, everyone!" he called suddenly.

Marks obeyed the command and stepped back slowly. Arynn stood her ground. She was curious about this "child." By the looks of it, its flesh had been severely severed from its arms and neck. She could understand if this poor soul was a zombie that survived from the blast but the way he seemed to grin showed that he understood the situation. He wasn't completely dead; there was some type of functioning in his rotting child-like brain. The way he started to walk the bridge reminded her of the adolescent female that attacked her back on the second floor. For something that was apparently rotting and losing all form of life, this "child" was no wear near being brain dead. She knew it was the virus but what strand and how potent?

"Arynn!" Tripper called from the cliff behind her.

She looked and saw Marks, Tripper holding a still unconscious Patterson, and a limping Hernandez waiting. Arynn wanted to know how this thing managed to find them. Up until this point, they remained quiet and incognito. As she looked down, she noticed small drops of blood trailing from where the boy was and then off to the opposite of the bridge. She remembered the torn stub of flesh on Patterson's wrist. It must've been bleeding the whole time and left an overwhelming odor attracting this little monstrosity.

She backed away from the child and towards the group. The kid didn't flinch or move; he remained still and watched as the group quickly disappeared into yet another dark tunnel.

Tripper and Marks' PLS sources showed the way as they came out into a small quiet enclosure. A few yards away was a one-level building with a single window and door embedded into the solid rock surface.

Marks was the first to make his way from the mouth of the cave to the front of the building. He was quick and cautious aiming his weapon at cliffs above making sure there were no unforeseen forces waiting to take aim. When he gave the clear, Tripper, Hernandez, and Arynn hurried to the compound.

Marks opened the door slowly with his back to the wall and rifle cocked. He entered aiming his gun to the left, right, and center. He wasn't taking any chances, the first thing that moved was sure to get wasted. The area inside was dark and the only hint of light came from cracks in the front wall from the outside. As Marks continued to search the small premises, everyone filed in, Tripper with Patterson, Hernandez, and finally Arynn. The young woman took one last look behind her, saw nothing then closed the door behind her. She found something to bolt it with and nudged the long wooden plaque onto the metal hinge.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

By using old stored police flashlights and strobe bulbs, Arynn managed to create decent lighting in the small room. Tripper had laid Patterson on the soft surface of sandbags while Hernandez watched over her. Marks was busy taking out medical equipment from his pack. He was eyeing Patterson's arm. Arynn saw a nearby table and sat down on the edge. She sighed and touched the small gash that went along the top of her arm to her elbow. It was nothing but a flesh wound.

"How long do you think that door will hold before, those things get in here?" she asked.

"As long as it needs to…" she heard Tripper reply as he got up and went to the front of the room.

He took out his military-issued berretta and reloaded it. He put it back in the holster, stepped up to the door then looked outside through a small peep hole. He saw nothing. Arynn watched him closely. She wished she had her weapons and her bag.

"Who do you really work for…?" Tripper asked in a low tone.

"I work for no one…" Arynn replied.

"Somehow, I don't believe that." The commando sarcastically stated as he walked holding his arms casually behind his back. He was now a few centimeters away from the table with his back to Arynn, facing a boarded up window.

"Believe what you want…" Arynn said.

"You want to know what I think?" he turned instantly and brought his face close to hers, "I think that you came down here for something that you know does not exist and never did."

"What I'm looking for is none of your concern." She folded her arms and looked away from the soldier.

"I think I have—we all have—every right to be concerned here, Arynn." He started letting a curious smirk emerge on his face.

"Concern?" she responded with widened eyes, "You don't seem like a person who is concerned. What about 'that's a sacrifice that I'm willing to take?"

The commando looked away.

"We all have our missions…we all have our orders…they are not to be broken no matter the cost."

"Spoken just like a true soldier" Arynn snickered.

"Look, miss, for all I know, you could be another Umbrella operative come down here to gather the remains of your company's failed experiments."

"Well like I said, I work for no one. I have no orders, I have only one mission."

"And what's that?" called Hernandez from the sandbags by the sleeping Patterson's side.

"To find the cure…"

Hernandez started to chuckle then burst out laughing. Arynn looked over her shoulder at him with narrowed eyes. Why was he laughing? Tripper cracked a small smile and left her side of the room. He then sat down on a wooden chair across from her. He laid his gun on the floor gently then unhooked his rifle from his back strap. He set it against the side of his chair then folded his arms. His eyes remained hooked on the young woman with a distilled glare.

"What you're searching for doesn't exist…" he said under his breath.

Hernandez got up and walked to the middle of the room. He stood his ground rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're crazy for coming down here, lady," Hernandez boldly stated, "You ain't gonna find a cure or antidote anywhere in Raccoon."

"Really..." Arynn said not amused.

"That was one of the first things that the military looked for when they conducted a search on the premises two years ago," called Marks as he ripped some material from Patterson's pant leg and wrapped it tightly around her forearm to cut off circulation to the stub.

"There was no search conducted in Raccoon." Arynn stated.

"That's where you're wrong," he contended.

"Enlighten me…" she blurted.

"Gladly," Tripper butted in, "a company by the name of Global Com who heads the foreign subsidiaries of Umbrella in territories like France, Australia, and Antarctica conducted studies in Raccoon about 2 years ago with the help of the Marines."

"They found many undisclosed documents concerning equations and techniques on how to replicate the necessary components to make this so called 'cure'" Marks said now applying the last of the gauze over Patterson's limp arm.

"The findings were never made public and to make matters worse," Tripper continued, "all the equations were wrong. So no 'cure' was ever recreated. A few scientists who worked under Umbrella came forward trying to leak information about where the real cure was but they disappeared."

"About a year ago," Marks said, "the military picked up on a faint beacon coming from ground zero. It was pinpointed to the actual research facility located directly underneath city hall."

"What happened?" Arynn asked.

Hernandez stepped forward. "The Military responded alright," he smirked. "They sent in some Berets to check it out—haven't heard back from them since."

"After that," Tripper continued, "Umbrella sent in its own task team. Only one returned back. But he went missing with his last transmission. He said that he found the lab and the original viral tubules. He said there was still some residue of the chemical and that it would be possible to use it for further studies. Then before he reached the edge of the city, his transmission went dead…that was a few months ago."

"So let's get to the point, who the hell are you guys?" Arynn blurted out.

"Funny you should ask," Marks replied, "Cuz we were wondering the same thing about you…"

"She's just a civilian. What does she know…"Hernandez said sarcastically.

"No, I think there's more to her than what she leads on," Marks replied.

There was coughing coming from the sandbags. Hernandez turned and came back to Patterson. She was finally coming around. Marks followed closely behind to check on her. Tripper remained seated with his eyes still focused on Arynn. She saw this and avoided eye contact with him.

"There is no cure, Arynn…" he repeated to her.

"I refuse to believe that." She slowly responded.

"This is no place to follow false dreams…" he started, "unless…there is a reason…" He got up from the chair and stood watching her.

She caught his eyes and turned away once again.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" she said.

_Why are you down here? _His voice trailed off in her head once again. She looked into his eyes. They seemed to probe into her being intensely and she didn't want to crack.

"Arynn, civilian, whatever you think you are. This is no place for anyone to be. What are you trying to prove by coming down here?" Tripper continued to interrogate her.

"Maybe she's one of those thrill-seekers come down here to for some fun," called Hernandez, "Well this ain't Disneyland, honey." He chuckled.

"I bet this has a lot to do with those tags around your wrist, am I correct?" Marks pointed out.

The two men looked at the glaring silver dog tags wrapped around the young woman's wrist. They weren't normal tags, probably about half the size of the normal military issued ones. Instead of the standard two…she wore four. Arynn looked down then quickly pulled her shirt sleeve over them.

"Who did they belong to?" Tripper asked.

"The citizens of Raccoon City…" Arynn replied.

"Civilians don't go around wearing dog tags" Hernandez butted in.

"Well according to Umbrella…the young ones did." Arynn snapped.

"The new hires?" Tripper asked.

"No, the recruits…" Arynn said.

"Recruits?" Hernandez questioned puzzled, "Recruits for what?"

Before Arynn could answer, she saw that Patterson was now opening her eyes and rubbing her forehead. Her complexion was a little pale but it was expected since the she lost a great deal of blood.

"Ahh I remember now…" Marks started as he helped Patterson to her feet, "Umbrella started doing research on stem cell growth and the benefits of using younger hosts to extract vital tissue."

"They experimented on children?" Hernandez asked.

"No, Umbrella suggested the idea but it never followed through. They scraped it for using dog and cat embryo stem cells," Tripper called out.

"You're wrong, Tripper," Arynn smirked, "They did use children… They damn near used infants when they could." She said as she hopped up from off the table and stood firm on the floor.

"She's right, Tripper, Umbrella conducted many projects in these underground 'safe camps' underneath the city." Marks confirmed, "I remember reading this in a report taken from a few captives when I first joined."

"What happened to them?" whispered a weak voice from the end of the room.

Arynn saw Patterson walking sluggishly towards the gathered group. The skinny young female soldier took Hernandez' arm as he helped her to a chair.

"Umbrella, that's what happened…" Arynn answered.

"I don't get it. So you're down here to find a cure for who? Raccoon was wiped out years ago and so was the virus. It makes no sense for you to be here if the virus is gone," said Patterson.

Her breathing was heavy and the blood from her stub was starting to seep through her bandage.

"Damn…I feel soo tired…" she whispered.

"You lost a lot of blood out there, Patterson." Marks said, "You need to rest."

Arynn narrowed her eyes at Patterson, watching her closely. The young woman's complexion was becoming almost ghostly. Eerie green veins in Patterson's arm were starting to appear through her skin and the artery in her neck was pumping erratically. Arynn wondered why the female soldier hadn't gone into shock over the loss of her hand or even show any kind of emotion. She seemed too calm and too quiet. That worried her.

"Marks," said Arynn, "check your soldiers wound. It's bleeding…"

The medic saw this and was already going for his medical supply bag, when Patterson stopped dead in the middle of the room. It was as if she was waiting for something…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Arynn turned away from the soldiers. She thought she heard a faint noise coming from beyond the barricaded door. She remained quiet. It wasn't clear, but she thought she heard child-like voices. She looked back and noticed immediately that Tripper was already on his feet and Hernandez had his rifle drawn.

"What is that…" whispered Arynn.

"Shh…" Tripper said, cutting her short.

"It's those little—" started Patterson but she stopped.

Tripper and Arynn looked back. Patterson stood motionless. Her head was lowered facing the floor. There were strands of dark brown hair draped over her forehead as she remained silent.

"Patterson?" questioned Marks, as he walked over with more gauze for her wound. She didn't respond.

Hernandez took a step and touched her shoulder.

"Gene?" he asked as he lifted her head up.

The faint murmuring had now doubled. Arynn looked back out the peep hole and her eyes widened. Outside was a handful of pale-face looking children. They all seemed to stand in a uniform position. Their legs were slightly parted, their arms were to their sides, and their heads were down. Arynn took in a breath as she realized something. She slowly turned back and saw that Hernandez had his hand on Patterson's shoulder.

"Get away from her…" she whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't touch her…" Arynn trailed off.

Arynn took out her knife rather slowly and Tripper got out his gun. The two watched as Patterson's breathing became loud and raspy. The veins in her arms were pulsating a silent rhythm—her skin now a ghastly white.

"Genie?" Hernandez questioned in a soft tone, "Can you hear me?"

The young woman's face was even more horrific than her skin. The pulsing veins appeared through her cheeks—a bluish pigment, tiny and fading up towards her sunken eye sockets. Thin red arteries that surrounded her pupils were flooding the whites of her eyes. She stood staring off into space, zoning out the world.

"Patterson, answer him." Tripper commanded. His voice rang throughout the room, making the murmuring from outside cease.

"It's stopped," called Marks.

The soldiers stood quiet looking around holding their breaths waiting for it to return. Arynn still heard the noise. This time it wasn't coming from outside. It was as if it was inside with them. But that was impossible, the children were outside.

"It's back," Marks stated whipping out his government issued berretta.

"It never stopped…"Arynn whispered, "it was always here."

Hernandez touched Patterson's cheek and they felt cold.

"Marks, something's wrong with Patterson. Check her bandage. I think she might be going into shock," he said to the medic.

Marks took Patterson's arm and started to unwrap her bandage. The soiled gauze fell to the ground while he examined the young female's severe wound. What the medic saw made him blink and take a step back.

"Tripper, I think you need to see this," he said.

Tripper came over and Marks showed him Patterson's wrist.

"What do you make of this?" the medic asked the first in command.

Tripper stood in a deep thought.

Arynn came over, she couldn't shake her curiosity. She went around the two men and took a step up to Patterson's firm body. She lifted the woman's arm and looked at the wound. There was nothing there. No blood. No visible bones or even torn muscles and tendons. It had healed completely. There may have been some scarring but for the most part Patterson's body had somehow healed itself. Arynn let go of Patterson's arm and it dropped back down to the female soldier's side. Suddenly Patterson's other hand reached out and grabbed Arynn's arm. This stunned the young woman and she let out a small gasp. Tripper and Marks stopped talking and focused on the females. Hernandez stood silent. Patterson's blank gaze ended and her eyes stopped dead on Arynn's. The two women were locked in a stare. Arynn tried to understand what was going through Patterson's mind by her sudden actions. Then...she heard Patterson whisper something…

"I know why you're down here…"

"What?" Arynn said leaning in closer.

"Sabriel…" Patterson replied as she emphasized the syllables quietly.

"What do you know about Sabriel…?" Arynn asked.

"What is she saying?" Tripper asked.

"I don't know," Arynn answered.

Patterson fell quiet then she began to make the sound that Arynn feared. Hernandez heard it and stepped back. Marks and Tripper cocked their weapons.

"Arynn, step back," Tripper ordered.

"I can't," she said, "She still has my arm".

"Hernandez, get Patterson to release Arynn," he said.

The tall Hispanic soldier reached to pry away Patterson's cold fingers but even with his strength, she didn't budge. The woman's grip seemed to increase and Arynn could feel Patterson's nails digging into her skin.

"What the hell is going on?" Hernandez questioned as he struggled with Patterson's impeccable strength.

The murmuring was back and this time it was much closer. It was as if it was inside. Arynn gasped as she realized that Patterson was the one creating the sound. The woman had been the one whispering it the whole time. Her lips curled a twisted grin. She turned instantly to face Hernandez. She murmured even louder and took a step towards him.

"Take her out, Hernandez!" Tripper shouted.

Hernandez looked over to his commander with a puzzled look. He had always followed orders when it came to completing the mission but now, he held back.

"I can't do that, Sir …" he replied as he stepped backwards a way from Patterson.

Patterson was coming closer and dark shadows were forming under her eyes. The closer she got the more sweat started to trickle down Hernandez's head. This was the first time that he wasn't sure of what to do. As electronic specialist on the team, he was always good at what he did when it came to bringing light or routing electrical currents to areas in need for the military.

"Don't let your pants think for you, soldier, I shouldn't have to repeat myself." Tripper said in a stern voice.

Hernandez balled up his fists and put his head down. He bit his lip and glanced at Arynn. He took out his glock. He pointed his gun at Patterson's head careful not to disturb her already messy hair.

"Forgive me," he whispered as he cocked the weapon and fired.

The bullet pierced her head with such force that it knocked her over and her body struck the floor. Blood seeped out of the fatal wound forming a large puddle. Hernandez lowered his head and turned away. He backed off and dropped himself into the corner of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Thumping and pounding from the front door jolted the group back to the problem at hand. Tripper looked out the hole again.

"Can we take them?" Marks asked.

"No." Tripper answered, "There's too many."

"Is there another way out of here?" Arynn questioned.

Marks looked around the small enclosure. Towards the back of the room was the piled up sandbags and a few extra light bulbs. The room reminded him of the military fallout areas back on the Hawaiian island of Niihau—old and neglected. He was amazed that everything in the room still worked. It looked like no one had set foot in the bungalow since probably well before the explosion. But there was something in the far corners of the room that caught his attention. It couldn't have been an object just reflecting light. It had to be light coming from outside. He quickly followed the source.

Arynn saw through the holes in the door that the amount of murmuring children had multiplied. She wondered how long had they stayed down here and how did they manage to keep alive without living human flesh. How could Umbrella use children as guinea pigs? What were they trying to accomplish? This was nowhere near the super soldier experiments that she read numerous documents on. It didn't make sense.

There was a gunshot and some pounding coming from the back. Arynn looked up at Tripper. Immediately they headed for the commotion. Hernandez looked up from his corner and watched the soldier and civil head towards the back. He rose up, squinted his eyes shut then looked over at Patterson's lifeless body. He didn't want to leave her but he had to continue on. That was the point of his job, continue on. There was still a mission that had to be completed. He stepped over to where she laid. He knelt down and watched her dilated pupils look over to one of the boarded up walls ahead. He reached down, closed her eyes, and slowly nabbed the dog tag around her neck. Lifting the chain over her head and past her ponytail, he put it in his chest pocket. Turning back to where Tripper and Arynn had disappeared he cocked his gun and proceeded into the darkness. Behind him he heard more pounding of the children against the door. He ignored the sound. But the soft noise of something stirring made him turn around. Past the sandbags and old gas lanterns, Tripper turned on his belt light. He and Arynn followed the illumination cautiously.

"Marks." Tripper called out in a half-yell. There was no answer.

They continued on. To their amazement, the room went back even further. Maybe there was a way out after all. The further they went to the back, the quieter is got and the idea of Marks moving was unlikely.

"What about Hernandez?" Arynn whispered.

"We can't help him. It's up to him, if he wants to live…" Tripper replied.

Something kept Hernandez from catching up. He watched as Patterson's body convulsed erratically. He started to see small objects move around in the puddle of blood next to her head. What were they? They looked like smaller versions of tadpoles; but tadpols in blood? It had to be the virus. In all of his days as a military operative, never had he seen a virus like this. Even with the Umbrella outbreak and the mass mutations documented, what he was seeing as far beyond the recorded data. "Gene?" he whispered as his hand began to shake. He backed a way into the darkness, watching the body continue to convulse. The pounding on the door was louder and he could see that the children were now ripping holes through the wood. At any time, they could burst right through. The tall soldier quickly turned away and hurried after the rest of the group.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

They stopped short. Tripper was already pointing his gun at the monstrosity gnawing at Marks' neck. Arynn held her knife, the only weapon that she had managed to keep before her things went missing. It wasn't big like the Gandharvas. It was skinny, pale, and dusty looking. Bugs were crawling out of its mangled mane and dried flesh hung from its bony arms.

"What is that thing…?" Tripper whispered.

"I don't know. But I've seen them before, out on the surface." Arynn answered.

Tripper took a shot at the creature. The Bullet splattered into its arm. It looked up at Tripper with a snarl and dropped Marks' body. It rose up standing a few centimeters taller than the lead commando. Its breathing was heavy and its breath was fowl. Tripper pulled the trigger again and the bullet punctured the creature's cranium. It let out a loud ear-piercing scream making the commando and the young woman hold their ears. As its body hit the floor, Hernandez came running. He was sweating ferociously and his gun was smoking.

"What happened to you?" Tripper asked.

Hernandez stopped to take a breath. "Gene…" he muttered.

"What?" Tripper said.

"She… I had to…"

He fell silent when he saw the disintegrating monster on the floor next to Marks' torn up was light coming from a gaping hole in another barricaded door. Tripper squatted down and cautiously poked his head out of the opening.

"We gotta get the f*** outta here," Hernandez whispered, "Those things got through the door."

Tripper crawled out of the hole and stood up outside the fallout shelter. He continued to look around with his rifle drawn. He leaned down and motioned for the others to join him. Arynn crawled through then Hernandez. Tripper peered around the corner prepared to take out the first thing that moved. He motioned for them to go and all three immediately headed for a concealed flight of stairs that led down. As they ran, Arynn saw the group of grotesque children entering the house. A few of them caught sight of her and the soldiers. Hernandez took a few shots bringing down a couple of the male children. The boots of the soldiers pounded the metal grid of the stairs echoing throughout the dark territory that they were about to enter. Arynn's exposed arms were filling the cold draft of an unforeseen wind below. They must've been reaching another division of the hospital closed off from even the personnel.

They had to be quick because of the echoing of murmurs coming from above them. The children were right on their tails. At the end of the stairs was a long concrete corridor. The flood lights on the side were well burnt out. Both Hernandez and Tripper turned on their lights and the beams probed through the thick dusty atmosphere. The tunnel forced them to turn right onto another dark tunnel. Along the sides there were locked doors. Many of them clearly had not been open since before the blast. Thick layers of dust formed a filthy film over some of the doors and it was hard to pick them out from the wall.

Arynn stopped. She turned to a door that was well hidden among cob webs and dust. Hernandez and Tripper slowed down and back tracked to a motionless Arynn. There was something familiar about the "B01" label and the biohazard symbol right below it. She remembered the key that she found in the surveillance room. It was still nestled in her shirt pocket. Taking out the key, she slid it into the keyhole, and unlocked the door. It creaked on its hinges as she opened the door. Tripper held her back and instead entered with his weapon drawn. Hernandez followed the two closely behind.

Inside, it was dark and Arynn strained to find the twitch, hoping that the electricity still worked in this part of the hospital compound. Running her fingers against the cold barren walls, she felt a switch and pushed it. Nothing came on. Hernandez closed the door and used a nearby chair to barricade it. Tripper's light beam searched the premises; quickly scaling a few small tubules and black screened computer monitors. The metal tiles felt cold and dirty against Arynn's feet. The draft that she felt from before was somehow coming from here.

"What do you think they were working on in here?" Hernandez asked.

"Those things probably," Tripper replied pointing back at the door.

"They were working on more than that…"Arynn started, "that was always Umbrella's plan—to develop the perfect soldier… But they could never get it right."

"They sure did with the Tyrants documented," Tripper said.

"Yea, but there was more to it," she continued, "they wanted to build a whole army not just one super soldier…"

"Let me guess, you read all of this off of the internet?" Hernandez patronized the young female.

"No. I went to the underground facilities. I went to the source."

"How were you able to gain access?" Tripper questioned her.

Arynn looked down at the dog tags on her arms. She turned one around. A faint serial number which was terribly scratched off could be seen.

"These tags belonged to a friend of mine back at the RRC. He got it off of a dead lab tech. He told me that it had access to almost every training and study room that Umbrella owned, even the hospital area and the main facility under the subway system."

"RRC?" Hernandez asked.

"Recruit Research Center…" answered Tripper.

Arynn looked at the lead commando with narrowed eyes. She made her way over to one of the large murky test tubes. She strained to see what specimen was left floating inside. Tripper shined his light on the glass. It was another embryo this time missing fingers. The next were leg-less in one tube while the other was headless in another. It was horrifying thinking of what type of experiments these scientists were doing on human cells and human embryos. It disgusted Arynn and made her male colleagues look away. This was far beyond just finding cures of certain deceases, this was "playing god".


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

"Date: July 17, 1993," Hernandez started, "

Subject has developed extraordinary acute hearing and agility. Recent mutation of jelly on finger tips allows subject to cling onto walls and ceilings. Its thirst for flesh remains consistent through trans-mutation. It has developed strong vocal skills and even shows sign of intelligence…"

"I don't see anything like that in here," Arynn said.

"It's probably on this level," Tripper said.

Hernandez continued to read the typed documented.

"_September 23, 1993:_

_Subject has been moved to sub-level 1 due to the sudden disappearance of personnel. Lead Researcher Davis Harving wants to stall injections until the virus is isolated. Subject will be put into hibernation until further research is done and considered for continuation_."

"Here's another one," Tripper replied.

The document had a dark smudge and the date was rubbed off.

"Subject was moved to sub-level 2. The amount of missing researchers has tripled. Harving wants to terminate research as Umbrella is losing money on classified experimentations. Moving to second stage of research. Project Dorus will commence."

"What Project Dorus?" Hernandez asked.

"From the looks of it…another version of this subject that the researchers keep mentioning." Tripper answered.

Arynn continued to inspect the glass structures. She turned and came to a few closed lockers and a computer desk. She rummaged through what she could read and came across the word, "Sabriel". The two soldiers came over.

"Project Sabriel. Lethal mutation of the T and G virus. Acute hearing, Agility, Stealth, and Intelligence. Subject Terminated. Replaced with manufactured female replica. Whereabouts of subject…unknown."

"What do they mean by 'manufactured'?" Tripper asked.

"I'm not sure," Arynn replied.

She put the document down and noticed a button on the wall next to the monitor. She pressed it and there came a soft rumble from the floor. Both Hernandez and Tripper scoping the floor looking for what Arynn had unintentionally activated. A small hole in the floor formed between two of the glass structures. The commandos rushed to the hole, shined their lights in, and aimed their guns downward. Arynn joined them. There were metal grid stairs leading down. Tripper started down first followed by Arynn and Hernandez.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

The cold draft was definitely coming from the underground passage. As the group descended deeper into the darkness, Arynn wondered what Umbrella was hiding at the end of the stairwell. It had to be something of the utmost importance. Based on what she read about the statements taken from Christopher Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Claire Redfield, the Tyrant projects were well hidden under Arklay Mountain Mansion and the Police Precinct. That meant that this particular project seemed even more important if it was several miles underneath an already top secret hospital. The clicking of Tripper's glock reverberated off of the sleek metal walls. The air smelled ventilated and fresh. Was it possible that the electricity was still working even after all of these years? Arynn doubted it. Someone had to have been working the power down here.

Tripper came to the last stair and got up against the wall. He leaned around the corner and saw nothing. The hall was clear of any debris and looked well maintained.

"Looks like there's been recent activity here," he confirmed.

"I wonder how recent…" Arynn trailed off.

They all looked to the right of the hall and saw a few closed doors up ahead. Tripper proceeded in that direction.

The first two doors they came to were locked and the next required an electronic key.

"Looks like that tag might come in handy after all." Hernandez said.

Arynn slid the tag in the reader and the door opened. She entered first feeling the harsh cold temperature of the floor. It was even more frozen in the room than all of the rooms she had entered. It was as if something was being kept on ice in there. All around were computers, lab equipment, and chemical solvents. What really caught the attention of the group was a small enclosure in the middle of the room. It was an observation chamber. Through the glass, they could see an operation table with surgical equipment set in order on a metal stand. There was a specimen there. Something strapped in to the table. Whatever it was, it wasn't moving or showing any sign of life.

"Looks like another one of Umbrella's experiments…" Tripper said quietly.

The three took a few steps closer to the glass for a close look at the humanoid. It instantly opened its eyes breathing in the circulated air. Arynn stepped back, the soldiers remained glued. Its skin was badly scarred. Arynn wondered where the scars came from. The figure turned its head to face the three and blinked its eyes. Its dilated crimson pupils stared attentively at Arynn. Tripper saw this and looked back at the creature. It remained quiet while it focused on Arynn. It was as if it knew her.

"What do you think they were doing to it down here?" Hernandez questioned.

"Testing its intelligence…" Tripper replied pointing to the clip boards with mathematical equations and formulas.

"This thing is nothing like the regulars," Hernandez said. "He's not trying to break free. He looks—"

"—Content," Arynn whispered. The two soldiers looked at her. "He knows what's going to happen to him so he's not fighting. He knows his fate."

"That's impossible. Zombies are mindless flesh-eaters. What do they know about fate and death? As far as they're concerned, the only thing that matters is meat," Hernandez said.

"If he is intelligent and content," Tripper said, "then why did they strap him to solid metal?" he looked at Arynn with folded arms.

"I don't know. But he's smart enough to know what happens when he gets out of line. Look at the scars on his body. I think he's learned to understand what not to do."

The soldiers looked at the healed discolorations of aggravated flesh wounds. As they turned away from the observation chamber, the creature started to struggle and pound on the metal table. It let out a loud scream that seemed to vibrate off of the impenetrable glass. Arynn and the soldiers backed away from the chamber and towards the front door. They heard commotion coming from the outside. Immediately they pressed themselves up against the wall and waited for the individuals to enter the room. Tripper had his glock drawn and stood closest to the door, while Hernandez stood on the other end with his finger on the trigger.

The door slid open and a person walked in. Tripper and Hernandez both held up the unsuspecting individual. They stood taller than the person who was in a white lab coat. It was a female. She had her hair tied back in a bun and wore black slacks. Arynn watched the woman closely. Tripper pointed his gun at the woman's head.

"State your name." Hernandez demanded.

"Lieutenant Danielle Campbell" she said in a stern voice as she kept her hands up in the air.

"What are you doing down here, Lieutenant?" Tripper asked.

The woman kept quiet.

"Answer the question," Arynn demanded in a low tone. The woman looked over at her with a slightly tilted head. She stared at Arynn with almost the same look as the mutation on the operating table.

"Conducting experimentation on infected cells," she responded.

"Hmm…really. I find that hard to believe" Tripper replied sarcastically.

"How long have you been down here?" Arynn asked with folded arms.

"A year," the woman answered.

Arynn turned back to the monstrosity in the observation chamber.

"I'm sure you can tell us what that is, right?" she pointed.

The woman looked at the confined creature then sighed.

"That's classified information."

"Listen," Hernandez shouted pointing his gun directly in her face, "I just lost someone out there because of your 'experimentations', so I suggest that you tell us what we need to know—" Tripper silenced Hernandez with his rifle, making his fellow soldier put away the gun that he threatened the woman with.

The lead commando whispered something into the man's ear and immediately Hernandez calmed down. Arynn watched Tripper put his gun away and begin to interrogate the female. She still didn't understand the soldier's composed demeanor and how he remained unchanged through everything that they witnessed down here. Nothing seemed to faze him—there was something not right.

"Well you certainly aren't with the company…" the lab tech said as she observed the three individually. Who are you people?" she demanded

"Captain Joseph Tripper of Air Force Special OPTs Unit. This is my second in command, Lt. Eddie Hernandez," Tripper recited. Hernandez nodded his head.

From the looks of it, Tripper was used to introducing himself. There was a spirited patriotic flow to his voice. It seemed to be the only thing that livened up his eyes.

The woman looked to Arynn as she waited for the young civilian to introduce herself.

"I'm Arynn Residvius. Now tell us why you're really down here…" Arynn quickly demanded.

"Residvius…" the woman whispered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Arynn replied.

"Nothing. Like I said, I am conducting experimentation on the evolution of infected cells."

"That's all you're doing down here?" Hernandez called out, "With the top secret sh** and high security measures, I would've thought, you guys were experimenting on more than one subject—like an army of the f**ing undead."

Tripper cracked a smile.

"Well she's definitely hiding something," Arynn said, "I read a lot about what you guys did in the mountains and in the city. There's no way that this one subject is the basis for all the classification down here. There's gotta be more. And I think she knows it."

"Your 'experimentation' looks nothing like the tyrant prototypes recorded. It's of no importance," stated Tripper.

"I beg to differ…" the woman whispered, "that thing that you're looking at, it used to be a regular infected human. Within five years time, he has developed significant sensory sensitivity to darkness, acute hearing, and importantly retained his ability to understand—a great recognition of intelligence."

"By the looks of it, his rage seems to stand out more than his intelligence…" Arynn said.

The woman stepped away from Tripper and walked towards the glass. There was a deep fascination between her and the creature.

"I think she's been down here a little too long," Hernandez whispered. Tripper cleared his throat.

Sudden commotion was coming from outside the door and Tripper looked over at the Umbrella employee.

"Where are you superiors?" he questioned her.

"I'm alone down here." She said.

"She's lying." Arynn stated.

"No there is no one else. I've been down here conducting research on my own. The last person to work here disappeared on the surface."

"Sir, I heard her talking to someone before she came in the room," said Hernandez.

"Well…where is he?" Tripper probed her again.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have to explain anything to you people. You have no authority here."

"No authority?" shouted Hernandez, "I'll show you no authority!" he waved his rifle at her.

"We need her alive," Tripper called out.

Hernandez threw his hands up in silent rage and backed off. He didn't know how much longer he could take keeping himself contained. He wanted to get out of this nightmare and back to normal life, or at least what was left of it.

"Listen, lady," Hernandez said as he came close to her. "Don't lie to us, where's the person that you were talking to before you came in here?"

"I told you, I am alone down here!" she shouted.

"So help me, lady, if you don't answer me. I don't care; I will put a bullet right through your head. Do you understand me!" he yelled.

He was so close to the woman that her eyes flinched with every syllable that his lips formed. Yet she held her ground and didn't abide by his demands. Instead she pulled out an automatic pistol and aimed it at his chest.

"Now if you don't get the hell away from me, I will put this bullet straight through your heart."

Tripper had his gun on her in no time and he called to her to put the weapon down. She wasn't listening; she was busy staring at Hernandez while the heated soldier's eyes were focused on her.

"I don't care whether you shoot me or not, my research is nearly done and it can be continued without me. So take your shot, soldier," she commanded Hernandez.

She narrowed her eyes at him, challenging him to do something. Hernandez took a breath slowly and put his gun a way, as he did, the female put hers a way as well. Tripper watched the two cautiously and waited until they were completely calm to put away his weapon.

"Who would continue your work, then?" Arynn questioned breaking the friction between everyone in the room.

The woman looked away briefly. She didn't say a word.

"You did say that if someone were to kill you, that your work could be continued. If you were alone down here, then how is that possible? Who is your contact? Certainly Umbrella can't have a researcher like you all alone in a city crawling with zombies…" Arynn continued.

The woman gulped, she started reaching for her gun. Hernandez instantly grabbed her arm and jabbed it behind her back, making her squirm with pain.

"We're not as inferior as you think we are," Tripper called out as he stepped up to her, "Now let me repeat the question…where are your superiors?"

The woman finally gave in. "He's close."

"Ahh now we're getting somewhere…" the commando spoke as he rubbed his chin.

"Who is your superior?" Arynn jumped in.

"I can't tell you that," the woman said.

Hernandez twisted her arm a little and she let out a gasp.

"Ashford! She cried.

"Ashford?" Hernandez asked.

"As in Alfred and Alexia Ashford?" Arynn asked the woman.

The woman remained quiet.

"Answer her!" Tripper called out.

"I thought the twins died back in Antarctica?" Hernandez said in a low voice.

"They did," the woman rolled her eyes, "But they weren't the only Ashfords involved …" She replied.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

The door slid open again. Arynn and the soldiers were greeted by yet another individual. Arynn's eyes widened as she faced the man. Without hesitation, she whipped out her knife and held it close to his neck.

"—Happy to see me?" the man asked cracking a smile.

Arynn smiled too. If she applied the right amount of pressure, she could inflict a serious incision into the man's neck. Nothing was going to hold her back this time.

"Sorry I had to leave you back in the office, but you understand…don't you?" he spoke under his breath watching Tripper and Hernandez.

"No I don't," she replied as she immediately sliced the side of his sleeve instead.

Peter grabbed his arm in pain as the blood seeped through the opened black material.

"_Now_ I'm sure _you_ understand…don't _you_?" Arynn simply stated as she walked away wiping her combat knife on a paper napkin off one of the tables.

"I take it you two crossed paths before?" Tripper interrupted.

Arynn and the man glanced over at Tripper with cynical looks.

"Yes," the man said as he patched himself up, "I tried to help your friend here when she was in a predicament with some treacherous gandharvas."

"I thought those were confirmed as terminated subjects," Tripper announced.

"No, Captain Tripper, they are alive and well, populating various parts of the city," the man replied.

"How do you know my name?" the commando asked.

"As much as the military has tried to keep a close tab on all of Umbrella's operations, Umbrella has been keeping tabs on each branch. I know everything about the Air Force's so-called Special OPTs. Gathering data and secret tests, I'm surprised you don't know who I am." He snickered.

"So who are you then?" Hernandez blurted.

"Oh. I'm sorry, where's my manners," The man started, "I'm Peter. And I'm responsible for saving your little friend's life."

"Sure if you call sedating me and leaving me in a locked room without my things…" Arynn said.

"I didn't sedate you. You fell unconscious of your own free will," he said.

"Sure…" she replied, "oh and by the way, where are my things?"

"I have them. You don't have to worry about where they are. You won't need them anyway…"

While the two squared off, Lt. Campbell slowly made her way to the entrance of the chamber. She took out an electronic key and slid it along the card reader. There was a small chime and the glass door opened. The creature looked up and watched her walk to the metal stand. There was a small remote. She picked it up and then walked out of the enclosure.

"Hold on, where do you think you're going with that?" Hernandez spoke nearly scaring the woman.

"I'll take that," Peter replied, taking the remote from Campbell's hands and slipping it into his cargo pant pocket, "It's of no importance to you."

"What is Project Sabriel?" Tripper demanded.

"Ahh yes. One of Umbrella's prime research subjects into embryonic technology. But also one of its downfalls…" Peter said.

"It was a failure from the beginning," Danielle added.

"Well of course, the massacre of Umbrella employees could explain that…" Arynn cynically replied.

"That only covers the surface of the problem," Danielle continued.

Tripper butted in, "What you've done down here goes against all laws of natural selection," he said, "it's been my personal duty to see to it that freaks like you spend the rest of your days in prison for what you've done to the people of Raccoon City."

Arynn could see the rage developing in Tripper's eyes as he talked. She wondered what he knew about the massacre—about the numbers of victims turned and killed during the outbreak, and importantly how much of it Umbrella denied afterwards. The company got away with practically murder. And she witnessed it all, people killing people, animals hunting in the streets, and law enforcement abandoning their civil duties to escape. It was sheer anarchy. If only the rest of the world knew…

"Don't tell me, you have a change of heart, Captain." Peter said, "If I remember correctly, wasn't it you that suggested rebuilding on contaminated ground? You already knew the severity of the situation, yet you still wanted to forget about what you and others did—destroying the lives of every individual in this damned city."

"What?" Arynn said as she turned to look at the commando.

"Don't listen to him," Tripper replied.

"Arynn, Umbrella isn't the only evil entity in the world. Remember behind every corporate giant is the assistance of the government. Why do you think the Air Force was sent down here? I'm sure it wasn't just for a simple data collection."

Hernandez took out his berretta and aimed it at Peter.

"I wouldn't pull the trigger if I were you," the man said as he took out the remote.

He pointed it towards the glass chamber. They all looked and saw that he had released the locks on the clamps that held the subject. Now free, the subject quickly stood up, stretched and turned to face them from the glass.

"What you're looking at is the next evolution in bio-weaponry," Peter stated, "with this specimen, we've been able to harness massive cellular growth of muscle and brain tissue. The average human only uses 15 percent of his brain, Dorus uses 50 percent. It is able to memorize double the languages that a child can in the first years of life. But really, you all are in for a treat. Dorus is a great example of things from the past—obsolete and outdated—a thorn in my side."

Peter pressed a button on the remote and instantly the subject's head exploded, sending patches of flesh everywhere.

Danielle gasped. Her face showed a look of horror as she watched the lifeless body of her beloved subject fall to the floor.

"All of my work…" she whispered, "You monster…" she confessed as she turned to Peter. "I have put countless hours into Dorus, how dare you!"

Danielle pulled out her gun and aimed her gun at Peter. She was so furious that her arms made the gun shake.

"Oh Danielle, don't worry about Dorus. It was always discussed that research on it was a waste of resources. You live in the past. I've always told you, that you should live for tomorrow. Put down the gun. We have better things to attend to."

"No I won't!" she shouted.

"Yes, you will. Now put down the gun."

The lights in the room started to flicker and the hairs on the back of Arynn's neck began to rise. Something was disrupting the electricity in the room. She didn't know what it was and began to take steps back towards the door. She tried to get Tripper's attention but the commando was locked with rage on Peter. There was a slight rumble along the floor and that's when Arynn saw it. The body of the fallen specimen was convulsing! Suddenly the lights went out. Arynn turned and ran for the door. With all of her strength, she pried the door open using her knife and escaped. She didn't know where she was going but she ran as fast as she could away from what was about to happen. The door pushed shut and there was screaming and gunfire inside.

She found herself once again turning her back on people who relied on her. First her brother when he was attacked by the infected Dobermans, her cousin Angel when she was ripped to death by an infected police officer, and then Thomas when he couldn't reach the car and they were right there on the limits of Raccoon. "Thomas," she whispered, as she stopped and took a minute to close her eyes. He was in her reach, he was right there, but they got him and she had to leave. A minute later, the nuke touched down and she barely made it out before the smoke of radiation saturated the air.

"Arynn!" yelled a voice from down the hall in the path of the sealed room.

Arynn turned and saw Tripper, he was gripping his stomach and hunched over.

"Help me…" he managed to say before collapsing to the floor.

She ran up to his unconscious body and strained to pull him down the hall. She had to hurry. Dorus was probably a live and looking for another victim. From in the hall, she could hear the bloodcurdling screams of Danielle and Hernandez. She wasn't sure about Peter but she didn't want to find out.

The wounded soldier's weight made it hard for Arynn to quickly move. She struggled with him down the corridor and turned onto another dimly lit passage way. Taking out the tag, Arynn forced her hand to stop twitching and slid it in the reader. She tugged Tripper's body right into the room then barricaded the door.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

The image of moving pieces of flesh played in her mind. Did Peter know what was going to happen? The bomb that went off in the creature's brain must have triggered some type of instant cellular regeneration. Arynn thought about Hernandez and Danielle—poor bastards, caught in the tyrant's path. She wondered where the creature was now and what shape its body had morphed into.

She put Tripper against the wall. She couldn't risk carrying him with that thing running around. She wasn't sure what Dorus was capable of. From what Danielle and Peter said, Dorus was probably a most fierce predator yet seemed inferior to whatever else creation Umbrella concocted. If Sabriel was terminated and Dorus was obsolete, then what was the current pride and joy of the corporation? She had to find out.

The room was small with a single table off to the right and a clipboard. Arynn strained to read the words written on top, "Contamination Room Log Sheet". _Contamination for what? She thought. _Taking Tripper's glock, she cocked it.

Using the tag again, she opened the next locked door. The label read, "RL-02". It was dark inside and she tried desperately to find the switch. Her feet nearly slipped on something wet on the concrete floor. Without even looking down, she knew what it was. She didn't need to see it. Her hands felt a button and pressed it. A humming came on and the lights overhead flickered. Around the room, she saw specimen samples in aquatic chambers and binders filled with various documents and paperwork neatly stacked on metal tables along the wall. This room had to be one of the main rooms of data collection. The specimens were familiar, same as the ones in the basement levels of the hospital. The only difference was that these particular specimens were farther along in development—bigger bodies, larger heads, longer limbs, and more horrific mutations. Arynn finally looked down to see what she had stepped in. To her surprise it wasn't blood. It was clear. She knelt down and touched the substance. Feeling it between her index finger and thumb, it was thin and smelled strong. _Carbon Dioxide? _She searched around the room for broken glass or anything disturbed that might have fell over, there was nothing. She walked over to the nearest table and opened up one of the binders:

_Redorus: _

_Evolution of Dorus…child-like volunteer recruits. Quick reflexes and agile movement. Similar to the Gandharvas, the Redorus consume flesh at will and only what their bodies can allow. Possess primal hunting instincts Signature sound is repeated when Redorus finds potential food._

Arynn looked back at the aquatic glass capsules with the floating specimen of Redorus. The Redorus must have been those children out there. The words, "recruit and volunteer" echoed in her head. These poor kids did not volunteer to be hosts for Umbrella's freakish experiments. How was Umbrella able to recruit these children without their parents knowing?

"I bet you're wondering how they did it…" echoed a voice from somewhere in the room.

Arynn turned around and saw Peter standing in front of the exit with a large slash cross one of his cheeks.

"You know," he continued as he paced the side of the room, "Children are very easy to persuade when it comes to their parents…"

"What exactly did you do to them?" Arynn questioned, watching him open random binders and snatch out documents.

"See as a researcher, you learn what makes people feel at ease and what makes them feel violated. And like my uncle, I acquired a significant amount of data on cell development in the early stages of human life and also cell deterioration during the early stages of death. I found that if I took human embryos and spliced them with already infected full grown animals, I could manipulate genes and create…well my own living, breathing subjects."

"You manipulated those children's genes?"

"No more than that," Peter whispered, "I got to them right before the impregnation procedure occurred. Those proud parents welcomed new additions into their families..."

Her eyes narrowed and instantly she lashed out at Peter, only missing him in the process. He dodged her swing with a laugh.

"You see one thing about Alexia that I did not agree with, was her foolish solution of injecting herself with the virus and being put to sleep for those long grueling years."

He grabbed the gun away from Arynn and flung it across the room.

"See I had a better plan. With the outbreak of the virus and the spotlight on little experiments that a few of my colleagues worked on, I couldn't risk my prize research being discovered. So I hid it."

"You hid Sabriel?" Arynn asked.

"No! Stop talking about this Sabriel. He was an earlier experiment gone wrong! I don't wanna hear that name!" he shouted putting his hands to his ears.

He jolted back and grabbed her arm. "You wanna see him?" he yelled, "then see him!"

He dragged her to the corner of the wall and pressed a pressure pad along the cold surface. The wall moved to the side and a dark passage appeared. He pushed her into the darkness. She struggled with him but she couldn't shake his grasp.

They came to a door and he opened it. The lights came on inside and before them stood a 10 foot high glass enclosure. It was filled to the top with water and a humanoid floated inside.

"Oh my god…" Arynn said as she grabbed her mouth. She recognized the pale face. It was a face that she had seen long ago. She walked up to the glass and touched it.

"Who is he?" she turned to ask Peter.

"He was with the company from the beginning, helping with the architecture of some of our finest facilities. He got too curious in my uncle's research. So my uncle used him as a test subject. You see the proto-type Tyrant that Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield found back in the mountains was a later version of this man. Over time, my research team added new elements to his development that surpassed even the latest tyrants found around Raccoon. He even surpassed my uncle Alexander."

He came close to Arynn and whispered in her ear, "His name used to be Nathaniel Residvius…but we came to call him, Sabriel…"

Arynn's heart was beating fast, her mind was racing, and her head was feeling light. It was as if everything she ever thought was true was a lie. How was this man related to her, and what did that mean? Why didn't she turn when the zombie scratched her arm back at the edge of the city? Why did Thomas suffer the pain of cell rebirth when she felt nothing driving away from the imminent doom of the nuke? Was it pure luck? She didn't want to think of the possibilities. She didn't even want it explained. She wanted to erase these thoughts and continue her mission.

"Why do you think it was always hard for you to get your blood tests results back, to take physicals without getting a funny look from your gym teachers? They didn't know what they were dealing with, you didn't know, no one knew. Only Umbrella…" Peter continued, "Every move you made in Raccoon was traced. Every article you wrote in the local paper was read and recorded. Every relationship you ever had was studied and researched. I've waited since my uncle died to see you're in the flesh, to watch you breath and thrive. You learned quickly in your classes, you were no ace, but you were good at observing, mimicking, and manipulating your way to the top."

Arynn looked up at the face and made out the nose and eyes of the man. She touched her own nose and cheek bone structure.

"Here, see for yourself," Peter said holding up a small mirror.

She peered into it with widened eyes. She had the man's lips and nose. This was all too weird and too much for her. She took a step back. She couldn't handle this. She never expected this. She turned and ran.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

"Arynn, you are failing to see the point here!" Peter yelled. His voice echoed throughout the small hall and into the research room. "What you've said about Umbrella is true. Why stop at creating one super soldier when you can make many? Don't you see? They were just the beginning. You've seen what the Redorus are capable of, haven't you? And I know you understood Dorus just by the cell regeneration… They were nothing compared to what I've mastered with Sabriel!" Peter yelled slowly following her.

Arynn could feel the rage in her boil. It wasn't Umbrella that was the monster; it was the family that founded the corporation. The Ashfords with their fingers into investments ranging from viral research in African territories like Uganda and Somalia to historical expeditions of fossilized viruses in Antarctica. Their research into the world's most dangerous viruses led to this, creating a living, breathing virus that could turn on contamination with the flip of a switch—a biological time bomb.

"Don't run away from natural selection, Arynn!" Peter shouted.

"This is not natural selection, this is playing god!" Arynn called as she grabbed her stomach.

She felt a sudden burst of pain. The most excruciating sensation seemed to come out of nowhere. Peter stopped short. He saw a passed out Tripper propped up against the wall.

"Tripper…" he said under his breath as he aimed his gun at the soldier's head.

"No!" screamed Arynn.

She lunged for the man knocking him over. They brawled on the floor, punching each other. Arynn hated him with every part of her being. She hated that Umbrella took away her family; she hated the corporation for distributing viruses to unknowing volunteers; she hated that they watched her every move and made her into their test subject. Everything she ever loved died in the blast that day and now that she knew the truth, she didn't want to be alive; she didn't want to be studied or researched. She didn't want to give Umbrella the satisfaction of selling her body to the highest bidder. Peter grabbed her neck and flung her across the room. Her back hit a locker door and she couldn't move—she was overwhelmed with pain.

"One thing that I did regret with you, Arynn, was your weakness. If it had been up to me, I would've drained you dry of all your blood and left you for dead. You've always been my most top priority. Well your blood at least…"

Arynn grabbed her stomach again. She leaned herself up against the locker watching Peter get up.

"Do you know why I came back here?" she asked him.

"No," he answered.

"I came back to find a cure…no matter the cost."

She took out Tripper's gun and slowly turned it around so that the shaft was in her face. Peter's eyes widened and he held his breath.

"Don't, Arynn. You don't know what you're doing. You won't be the same once you pull that trigger." He said in a stern tone.

"I don't care. You've taken everything from me. Now I'm taking everything away from you."

"No, wait."

She pulled the trigger.

There was silence…

Arynn's head hit the floor and she could feel the pain increasing in her abdomen. There wouldn't be anything to worry about now. She could close her eyes and fall asleep. She would forget about this wretched world and its terrible secrets. She wanted to erase Umbrella from her mind and slip into serenity. The last thing she saw before her fatigue got the best of her was Peter coming over to her body and calling out to her.

"You think you can get away from me that easily…?" he whispered.

She closed her eyes …


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Tripper woke up and found himself against a wall in a small room. He reached for his gun but it wasn't there. As he pulled himself up, his wounds from his fight with Dorus resurfaced making him take short breaths. He could feel rumbling just like from before, that meant Dorus was still somewhere in the compound. From what he read about the creature, it was created alongside the Sabriel project. The Dorus experiment looked nothing like the previous Tyrants. As a matter of fact it wasn't even a Tyrant, it was something completely different. The word Sciron came to Tripper's mind—an old word referring to sea monster. From what Tripper last recalled, the Tyrants were nothing compared to the Sciron, their strength was no match for this new breed whose tissue was elastic almost liquidity. Back at the March Air Force Base located in California, numerous data was collected and stored in classified rooms on Umbrella's operations. Tripper knew exactly what Peter Ashford and his colleagues were up to from day one. But he couldn't risk telling anyone else not even the one person that was the key to stopping the corporation…Arynn Residvius.

Slowly getting up, the soldier looked around wondering where Arynn was and whose blood was all over the floor. If it had been Arynn's, then so be it, she was bound to find out the truth anyway. He pulled out his government issued blade; the sleek contour of the metal reflected a clear picture of a dark hallway leading away from the exit. In his grave condition, he went to investigate. At the other end of the hall, he came to a hibernation chamber room. In a large glass aquatic capsule, was a floating figure. A respirator mask was attached to the man's face while IC tubes were plugged into his forearms, calculating his vital signs and body temperature. From the looks of it, the human or what was left human was in a coma. Tripper wasn't quite sure if this was the infamous Sabriel that Peter spoke so obsessively about but he had a hunch.

Thinking back to his days of forbidden research on Umbrella's various activities, Tripper recalled a few pages on Founder Alexander Ashford's discoveries in embryonic cell breakthroughs and the scientist's deep fascination with live human hosts. The name Nathaniel Residvius came to mind. He was the first of many people to be exploited by Alexander's "god-like" ways. Tripper didn't know the exact details of what Ashford did to Nathaniel but it involved manipulated genes taken from small samples of the extinct saber species plus a mysterious strand of the Bubonic plague. Whatever Alexander had created, he kept it secret from everyone including his own children and co-founders of Umbrella. This was surely an experiment that he knew had great potential and so he trusted it to his most loyal companions, one of which included his nephew, Peter Ashford.

If Sabriel was such a problem to the company, then why didn't they just terminate the project altogether rather than keeping him on ice? Tripper contemplated this. There had to be another purpose for this pale dark figure. Something else caught his eye and he immediately turned and limped down the hall. He had to find Arynn.

***

There was an echo of a male voice. "Make sure that copter is here on time. I don't care how you do it or what air space you violate, just get it here. I've got the prime target and there's nothing left to retrieve."

Where was the voice coming from? Was she hearing things?

"Just like I said, she's got great potential. We can continue Project Residvius, just like my uncle intended."

Arynn found herself lying on cold steel. A blinding operating light was beaming directly down on her and she had to shield herself from it. She touched her neck for where the fatal wound was. It wasn't there. Nothing was there. No blood, not even a scar. What was going on? She didn't understand it. With her blurry vision, she looked around the room. The only things in it were a chair, some life-meter equipment and to her surprise, her leather bag. Jolting herself up, she hopped down from the table and hurried to the bag. In a time like this, she was very glad to finally get her things back. She wondered what Peter took. She threw on her jacket, gloves, and laced up her boots. It felt good to not walk on the cold ground anymore. Luckily she had an extra weapon belt equipped with a light source. She put it on. The most important thing in her bag was her silver desert eagle. It had the insignia of a falcon and a cross, a symbol that her father once had tattooed on his arm. She loaded the weapon, cocked it then holstered it. Whatever lay beyond the walls of the room, she was ready to tackle and set things right. She was ready to put an end to Umbrella for good. Nothing was going to be left behind; it was all going to end here.

Outside of the room was an office—an area with a neat desk and various books placed along metal bookshelves. There were pictures of individuals along the wall and a few in frames on the desk. Arynn guessed them to be affiliates of Umbrella or maybe the chairmen on the board. She used her gun to turnover books and folders, looking for evidence to take back up to the surface. She pulled out draws of the desk and came slowly across a thick green file keeper labeled, "Residvius". Arynn put her gun away and sat down to read the documents.

_September 09, 1980_

_Commencement of Project Residvius. Host delivers female subject. Blood type negative O. Blood sample indicates weak strand of progenitor virus and dominant strand of Ebola virus mixture successful. Further injection of newly administered Bubonic Influenza will be tested on newborn._

A photo dropped on the floor and Arynn leaned down to pick it up. It was an old color photo of a tall dark-skinned man standing next to a short woman. They were smiling holding onto one another. Arynn recognized the woman instantly. But the photo must've been very old because she didn't remember seeing her mother looking this young before. The man, she wasn't sure of. He looked similar to her mother; he might've been a cousin or some other relative. Then she thought back to the Sabriel project and the name of Residvius. Peter said she was related to the individual. Was it possible that her mother was the test subject and she was the newborn in the report? If this were all true, then why didn't her mother tell her about this? Arynn closed the filer and put it in her bag. She strapped the pack on and continued to do a sweep of the office. Once again, she heard the echo of a male voice coming from outside in the hall:

"Notify the team for immediate operation as soon as I land back in headquarters. Tell Vindar that the subject will be ready and to key in the command for the others."

Arynn found a few more files labeled, "Recruits," "Dorus," and "Sabriel." She left and came out into a well lit corridor.

***

Tripper didn't know how long he could take walking around with the deep flesh wound in his side. At any moment his legs would buckle and he would drop to the floor unable to move them. He had to get to the main office and find Arynn. There was no telling what state she was in. He needed her alive. He wasn't about to let his entire crew die in vain. There indeed was a reason why he came down here and that reason lied with Arynn.

Dorus had really got him good when those lights went out. He didn't even have the time to pull the trigger. The creature was too fast and too flexible in avoiding Hernandez's bullets. He saw the creature reach for Hernandez and rip his head clear off. The remaining part of the commando's neck spurted blood while the body still stood pumping bullets from the gun for just a few minutes before falling dead. There wasn't any doubt in Tripper's mind that Peter had created the ultimate killing machine but what was the purpose of Arynn's existence if Dorus and Sabriel were still alive?

***

Arynn continued to follow the dark hall. She withdrew her desert eagle when she saw an opening up ahead. It was a lookout room. Through the massive window, she saw the subway system that Umbrella used to transport experiments secretly underneath the city. Arynn recalled Claire Redfield's report on how she and Leon S. Kennedy escaped the research facility and secondary transportation system explosion. That area must have been farther away from the main facility because everything seemed to still be intact, which meant the possibility of a workable train somewhere. She had to somehow get down there and get the hell out of this nightmare. But first there were a few loose ends that she had to tie up…

Arynn saw Peter walking down one of the tracks. She wondered what was he doing and how did he get down there. Immediately she looked for buttons along the control panel indicating a power switch to the subway system. Her eyes fell on a few slider switches for subcar activation. When she got the right combination, she turned the dial and the lights in the substation and tracks came on. She saw that Peter was a little startled and was looking all around for the source of the disturbance. He turned towards the small room on the third level through the glass and saw Arynn. He simply turned around and continued onwards. Looking around the room, Arynn found the exit. She unhooked the latch and immediately trucked down the stairs.

***

Tripper was coming up on an elevator door. The power was still working by the lit up arrows pointing up and down on the wall. He chose the down arrow. There was more he had to gather before his mission was done here. Whether he caught up to Arynn or not, at least he could radio headquarters his findings before his time was up. Stumbling into the elevator he pressed his back against the wall and closed his eyes to take a quick rest…


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

"Hold it!" shouted Arynn as she pointed her gun at Peter's back some yards ahead of her.

The young man turned around holding a remote in one hand and a small tubule of blood in another.

"You can't pull the trigger, Arynn…" Peter said waving the remote, "See this? I control you. You don't have the power to pull that trigger!"

What was he talking about? Of course she could pull that trigger in anyway fit. But what was this? Her finger was hesitating. She didn't understand. She looked at him confused.

"That's right. While you were asleep I took a sample of your blood and injected you with a beacon device controlled by this here remote," he explained, "I own you, dear."

She tried again to pull the trigger but her body refused.

"I don't get it," she said, "You have the sample why keep me alive?"

"I need the rest of your body to continue the replication process."

"Replication process? To replicate what?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten what Umbrella has strived for?" he questioned.

***

The elevator stopped 4 floors down. Tripper had gone so far down that the floors weren't labeled basement anymore, they were named sub. He had descended to Sub-Level 4. The metal door opened and Tripper peered outside with his knife drawn. He could see to the end of the hall a few locked doors. This was where his team would've ended up with Arynn's help. They needed to infiltrate Umbrella's archival room to find the footage.

He struggled to walk the dusty concrete, hoping that nothing would stand in the way between him and those doors—his hopes were crushed… A puddle of blood began to seep through the small cracks under the corridor walls in front of him. With all that he could muster, he walked quickly and half-jumped over the growing puddle. He knew what it was and didn't have time to watch it gather itself. Taking out a specialized metal card, he swiped it along one of the doors and jumped inside.

The lights automatically cut on and the injured soldier got up watching drops of blood hit the floor from his wound. He got lucky and found that the room was full of electronic archive machines. Each one had to at least hold no more than 50,000 various electronic folders of Umbrella's research. He just had to find the one consisting of data taken from the early and mid 80s. Taking out a small USB drive and a government issued satellite transmitter, he downloaded what he could from the archive. Watching the number of files flash on his transmitter, he looked around the room. In a dark corner, he saw the remains of a hunched over figure. Tripper narrowed his eyes and proceeded with caution. The figure was wearing Air Force attire and had an old gun at its side. It looked like the man had been down here for quite some time. The name, "Larson" was on its shirt. Tripper remembered a Larson who once went in to infiltrate Umbrella back in the late 70s, trying to retrieve files on proto-type Tyrants, but he disappeared suddenly. All of the research he acquired seemed to have disappeared too. Tripper took the gun from the man's lap and checked to see if it was still loaded. To his amazement, it was and though it was issued back in the late 70s, it appeared to still be functional. He holstered the weapon and came back to the archive. 75 percent complete, the words flashed on his transmitter. In a few minutes, he would be able to send the files electronically over an encrypted channel.

***

Arynn was now following Peter across the tracks. Her desert eagle was holstered and her hands were limp to her sides. She couldn't move them nor stop walking. Whatever he had implanted in her bloodstream had such a force over her. She was glad that he didn't have control over her mind. They came to an empty subcar and Peter hopped up onto the concrete load section. Arynn followed. He then opened the abandoned car. They both entered and inside were skeletons of former Umbrella employees. Arynn wondered how they died. It certainly wasn't from the virus; it looked more like…foul play.

Peter made her sit down on one of the booths while he turned on the controls for the car. Thoughts began to flash through her mind. The image of Tripper unconscious against the wall and Dorus on a rampage seemed to standout. Arynn wondered what happened to the Air Force Soldier and if he succumbed to his wounds yet. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to get out of this one. She no longer had the power to control her own body. If she were able to get the remote from Peter, then maybe she could disable it.

***

Download complete. Now he had to upload the files to the transmitter and submit them. It would only take a few minutes. But as he readied the device, he heard liquid dripping from somewhere in the room. He looked to the door and saw that the liquid was accumulating from underneath. It was blocking the exit; he couldn't avoid the slithering monster now. Tripper initialized the upload and left the device on while he readied himself. In his state, he couldn't outrun the creature or kill the creature with the amount of bullets he had left in the gun. He knew his hours were almost up and so it was time to pay for his mistakes. Before Dorus had fully revitalized itself, Tripper saw something reflecting in the vent off to the right of the room. Below the vent was a metal shelf filled with old film canisters. He suddenly had an idea. He lunged for the shelf and started to climb it. He let out groans as he could feel the pain shoot up from his knees and to his wound. He didn't know how he was moving but he was. He pried the vent off the ceiling and threw it to the side. Dorus was done re-uniting itself. It instantly saw Tripper and zipped through the room silently. Tripper reached up into the shaft and pulled himself up. His arms almost buckled because of the blood that was lost but he had to try. The creature stretched out its loose arm and held onto Tripper's boot. Its strength was immense. It tugged at his leg making the bones in his arms crack. Yet he continued to force himself up. He heard the chime of the transmitter indicating that it was complete and so he took out his gun and blew a hole through the creature's arm making Dorus release him. Tripper quickly struggled through the shaft and turned a corner. He wasn't sure what was up ahead here or even if it was safe, but it had to be better than dealing with Dorus. He passed by skeletal remains of rats and old cobwebs. It was obvious that no one had been down in Sub-Level 4 for quite some time. He came to a dead end near two vents. Looking through the first one, he saw a cluster of gandharvas rummaging through a room. In the second vent, he saw a dark tunnel leading upwards. He looked down and saw the main elevator below. _Jackpot,_ he whispered. He turned his body around and kicked out the vent. The vent landed loudly on the roof of the elevator echoing. Pushing himself out of the shaft, he used the nearby ladder to climb down.

Leaving the ventilation crawlspace, he heard a faint sound of liquid approaching. It was Dorus in hot pursuit. Bending his knees and trying not to lose his grip made it hard to come back down to the elevator. He stepped of the last bar and onto the roof with a small impact. Tripper grabbed his knee in pain. It was already happening; the numbness was setting in his leg. He kept on moving. Opening the trap door, he looked up and saw that Dorus was gushing down the ladder. Tripper jumped in closing the door behind him. He heard a high pitch squealing from Dorus as it hit the solid metal.

Inside the elevator, Tripper laid on the floor sprawled out and unable to move any of his limbs. With whatever strength he had left, he tapped the up button. His arm went limp and he turned his head to the side slowly. His vision was foggy and all he could make out was the reflective metal of the hand rests on the wall and the bright lights above. A loud rattling noise pounded through the ceiling and suddenly he saw it. Dorus was peering down at him from the doorway above. Tripper couldn't run now or use his knife. He just lay there watching the creature. Just as Dorus stretched its body into the elevator and down towards the soldier's face, the elevator came to a complete holt. The sudden stop sent Dorus tumbling to the other side of the elevator. Tripper nudged himself up against the wall as far from the monster as possible. He turned his head to the doors and saw that something from the outside was forcing them open. His eyes narrowed and he turned his head back quickly to Dorus's face some inches from his. He held his breath as the creature brought its gooey limb to his face and began to liquefy its own hand.

The door opened and a large gandharva stood there with its claws drawn ready to feast. Dorus looked up at the animal and immediately hissed. The gandharva reached for Tripper's leg and the soldier tried to shake it off. Dorus screamed at the gandharva instantly. The hairy half Cerberus, half licker snarled back still retaining its grip on Tripper's leg. Dorus liquefied its arm and whipped the gandharva's hand away. The gandharva immediately lunged at Dorus making the dark elastic creature fall back. This gave Tripper the opportunity to crawl away. The gandharva reached for the soldier's arm just as Tripper crawled out of the small enclosure. Dorus bit the animal's hand making the gandharva release Tripper and scream in pain. The two monstrosities fought in the elevator, making it shake and bang against the elevator shaft wall. As Tripper forced himself away, he heard the cable to the elevator snap and the elevator shot straight down.

"Damn," Tripper said as he limped away.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

As Arynn felt the subcar start to move, she was unable to leave. She didn't want to be on that train and she didn't want to be Peter's personal experiment. She came here simply to find the cure but now she was becoming a part of the problem. There had to be another way to get out of here…

A sudden appearance of a chalky pale figure made her jump. First its head loomed over the outside of the subcar window, then its long slender hands. She recognized the texture of the skin—dry, flakey, and deprived of all moisture. It was one of those things from the surface. But how did it get down here? Was there a possibility that the surface was much closer? Arynn thought long and hard.

"So why didn't you help your cousin with her experiments?" Arynn asked.

"Alexia?" Peter replied as he turned away from the control panel to the young lady, "Why interfere? She was already well on her way to achieving her dream. She loved ants, I didn't. I could care less for her research."

"But her experiment proved to be a success. The T-Veronica virus created the perfect biological weapon," Arynn said.

"Alexia was a fool." Peter squirmed, "Her obsession with those tiny creatures led to her downfall. And poor Alfred followed her to his death. They knew nothing. They could've carried the research further but they only scratched a piece of the potential."

"Experimentation on ants and insects and their adaptation to viral injections was an intelligent idea…"Arynn stated. She could feel the coming of another sharp pain in her abdomen.

"Well intelligent for the feeble minded," Peter quickly replied, "My cousin did have the right thinking in experimenting with bugs due to their ancestral ties to prehistoric times. But I went back further by using the DNA of extinct mammals and reptiles that once lived ages before there was a Paleolithic era."

"So you used dino DNA…" Arynn sarcastically said.

"Not entirely…" Peter said before turning back to the control panel, "I used genes from an ancestral parent of the chameleon and small amounts of bone marel from a Sabertooth."

"And you're serious about this…" Arynn replied as she toyed with the idea of tyrant dino giants running around. The idea seemed silly but not far-fetched for Umbrella. Still she couldn't help but crack a smile.

Peter saw the young woman look away. He immediately walked over to her, knelt down, and stared hard into her face.

"Laugh now, Residvius, but in a few hours time, you will witness a new dawn in biochemistry technology. I promise you, nothing will be the same. And you? You will never see yourself in the same light…ever again."

He stepped away leaving Arynn with a bad taste in her mouth.

"You're insane," she said.

"And that's what they told Alexia…" he whispered.

***

Tripper was still in the sub-level floors. He didn't know where he was or what direction he was going in. This section of the Umbrella secret compound definitely had not been affected by the infection or the rampant experiments. It was clean and quiet as he passed by labs and employee offices. Even this far down, it was a ghost town just like the ruins above.

The soldier had lost so much blood by the time he came to stop at the corner of another corridor. He didn't know how much longer he had to go before he would give out. The captain squinted his eyes shut, squeezed the ridge of his nose with his fingers then wiped away a bead of sweat. He was beyond tired and beyond fatigue. The next rest stop for him was probably going to be his last. Looking to his right, he let out a sigh. A familiar symbol of a red cross indicated medical aide somewhere nearby. Finally, he could patch up what was left of his right side. He slid his body along the concrete wall and towards two double doors. When he entered, he noticed the sudden burst of coldness in the room and the dingy surface of the medical appliances. Tripper went straight for the closed cabinets and drawers looking for gauze and syringes. He used alcohol swabs to clean up the dry blood and filled a syringe with a vial of liquid pain relievers. Tripper was used to needles from all the blood work he had to do during medic training at the March Base facility. Feeling the fluid surge through his veins made him feel a little more at ease. He wrapped the gauze firmly around himself. He was beginning to feel his arms and legs again. Tripper looked around the room wondering what things he should take just in case. He loaded his pockets with more gauze, two small vials, and one syringe. After a thorough investigation of the medic ward, he left the room and headed back out into the deserted hallway.

He turned the corner and walked up a flight of narrow stairs. Ahead was another unlit corridor. The soldier turned on his belt light then cautiously proceeded watching what he stepped on and keeping track of what was behind him. With only his combat knife once again and the almost empty old gun, he was prepared—well, as much as he could be. The faint smell of sulfur seemed to come from out of nowhere. Tripper looked around and saw nothing. The smell was intoxicating almost as if it was right next to him. He paused and jolted around. At the beginning of the hall, stood a familiar figure, it was a soldier dressed in Air Force attire. The soldier's posture was abnormal—leaned to the side with slumped shoulders and limp hands.

"Identify yourself," Tripper called with his weapon drawn.

The figure stood quiet but started to readjust itself. It straightened its back, propped up its shoulders and cracked its knuckles. Tripper cocked his gun and narrowed his eyes.

"Identify yourself, soldier!" he demanded.

A haunting cough escaped the man as he began to approach the alert Tripper. His steps were slow and calculated while his face still remained unseen.

"If you do not tell me who you are, I will shoot you right where you stand…" Tripper continued.

The man continued to walk not taking into consideration that Tripper was aiming straight for his head. Tripper pulled the trigger and the bullet plunged into the man's cranium, committing a rumble from the inside but a mere splatter from the outside. The man fidgeted but didn't go down. Tripper stepped back. He took another shot, the man didn't even flinch this time. Tripper's eyes lit up when he saw the name "Hernandez" on the Unknown Soldier's combat jacket.

"Stand down, Hernandez!" he shouted. The soldier stopped suddenly.

There was silence.

"I should be dead…sir" a hoarse voice slowly announced from the soldier's lips.

Tripper shined his light on the soldier's face. Tissue and exposed muscles with patches of skin covered the man's face. Tripped held his breath wondering how it was possible for a man, whose head was severed, suddenly grew back. And to make the thought more of an enigma, how was Hernandez able to retain his thinking process and recollection of events that happened before he died.

The undead soldier took a step towards his former commander and Tripper instantly drew his weapon again.

"Do not come any closer." Tripper sternly stated.

Hernandez stopped and took in a deep breath. He exhaled then slumped his shoulders again.

"What happened, Tripper? Why am I still here?" he demanded of the commando.

"I don't know, man," Tripper replied.

Tripper could see that the flesh on Hernandez's neck was starting to pulsate. By the looks of it, the pulsing was starting to bother the soldier. Hernandez was beginning to rub his neck. Tripper stepped away immediately.

"What's wrong?" Hernandez asked the commander.

"Something isn't right about you. You shouldn't have survived a severed head fatality. You should be dead…"

"I know that man!" Hernandez spoke a little agitated. He was now scratching his neck, "Dammit, why am I so itchy!"

Tripper continued to step back. Behind him was another flight of stairs leading up to what was called the "Control Transport Area."

"Where are you going?" Hernandez protested, "Don't turn your back on me, sir. You brought us all here to find Umbrella's dirty secrets. They all followed your orders and look what happened! Gene is dead because of you!"

Tripper stopped and turned back to Hernandez. He could see that the fatally wounded soldier was shaking and his whole neck was pulsing now.

"Tripper, you said this would be an easy mission," the soldier continued, "You said that we would get in and get out. You said a lot of things, man. And I really believed all of it. I had your back when the board stripped you of your pilot license. Damn it, Joe, I covered you when they blamed you for the nuke."

Tripper looked away, the flash back of him at the helm of a fighter jet and the skyline of Raccoon City off in the distance made him shudder. He saw it clearly in his mind and remembered every sight and sound as his Chain of Command ordered him and his co-pilot to drop the nuke; the nuke that changed it all for both that small city and for the rest of the world. But he wasn't regarded as a hero that day, he was seen as a lap dog taking orders and carrying them out. Hernandez was right, he _did_ cover Tripper's *** when the board wanted to relieve him of his authority. Hernandez _was_ there when a handful of people petitioned to keep Tripper and his co-pilot on the force.

"I'm sorry, man" Tripper replied taking a sigh.

Hernandez stood quiet with his shaking coming to an end.

"Look," Tripper said, "I don't want to kill you. But if you get in my way or turn into one of those things out there, I will not hesitate—"

"I know…" Hernandez blurted out quietly, "If it does come to that. Just do it. And make sure you use my blood as evidence. I want this thing to be over. I want Umbrella to be done."

Tripper started to walk and under his breath he replied, "Definitely…"

The commando and the soldier started for the Transport Area.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

The creature opened its mouth wide and showed off its large jaw structure to Arynn. It rolled out its long tongue and slid it along the outside glass. Arynn pushed herself into her seat watching the creature in silence. It latched its mouth onto the glass and created a suction. Arynn watched in curiosity as she tried to understand what it was doing. When Peter noticed that she was quiet he turned over to what caught her attention. He snickered.

"Ahh yes, the Civetateo also known as the Screamer." He announced.

"You know about these creatures too?" Arynn asked.

"Yes. A couple of my collegues did studies on them a few months back."

"What are they?"

"Can't you tell?" Peter replied, "Just look at them. They were once like you and me. They were your police, your mail carriers, your teachers…they're the citizens of Raccoon City; the infected ones—the ones left behind after the explosion."

Arynn narrowed her eyes. So the nuke did not relieve the problem—more like it continued it and gave the infection a nesting ground for eventual evolution. Arynn thought back to the long drive she made to get to "ground zero." She remembered seeing the odd looking wildlife along the road and what was left of the remaining forests. The government thought that they could get rid of the problem by blasting everything and everyone away in Raccoon, when it only made it worse.

"What happened to them?" she asked, "Why do they look like that?"

Peter came over to the glass and put his hand close to the creature's opened mouth. Its eyes looked at him and its tongue slide along the surface to where his hand rested.

"Because everything was essentially wiped out—all wildlife—all humans—basically all forms of organic flesh, their bodies lost moisture and became flakey, hard, and withered. They live for moisture and flesh. When they come across vegetation or anything with water or blood, they suck the juice from it until that object is no more." He said as he dragged his fingers along the glass and the creature's tongue slowly followed, "It's nature's way of adaptation for these unfortunate failures…"

Arynn bit her lip and clinched her teeth. How could the government have allowed such deceptive behavior in this country and around the world? How could Umbrella juggle the lives of many for their own personal gain and greed? It sounded like something featured in a book about Law Firms and corruptive conspiracy theories. And to think she was a part of this the whole time. No matter how long or how many arms she had to break, she was going to put an end to Umbrella once and for all.

"So you think that nuke that was dropped cleaned Umbrella's slate? Think again. Your little experiments have gotten out of Raccoon and are freely roaming the country sides," Arynn said watching the creature.

"And what am I supposed to do about that?" Peter scornfully replied turning back to Arynn, "You think I care about your little city? Yes it was an unfortunate mishap and its even more unfortunate that innocent people who were not infected were lost in the blast. But that is all in the past. Raccoon can be rebuilt and it will be."

"Yea to house more potential for outbreaks and not to mention the radiation?" Arynn blurted.

"You are missing the point, Arynn, Raccoon City was never supposed to be a city. It was a cover for Umbrella's prime experiments and secretive negotiations with foreign militaries. We had to make it look authentic to your average American. People that you knew who worked in and around that area were all Umbrella employees in one form or another. So when there was the breakout, Umbrella took care of its own and cleaned up what it could then proceeded on without interruption."

"And them? Did Umbrella take care of them?" Arynn said pointing down to the skeletons on the floor.

Peter laughed it off and continued to stand by the glass.

"There were employees who went against orders and I believe they got what was coming to them…" he said.

"So Umbrella never cared about how many people it had affected?" Arynn asked in a shrill voice, thinking back to all the people she knew and loved who all died.

"To answer your question, no but Raccoon can and will be rebuilt—at least not in the same place. Umbrella needs another cover and so I am sure another city will be created just for that purpose."

Arynn stood up immediately and tried to lunge for Peter but he quickly lifted the remote towards her. He pressed a button and suddenly she was in sheer pain. She grabbed her abdomen and fell back in the chair. Peter put the remote in his pocket then turned walked back to the control panel. The train was still riding slow and about to leave the Control Transport Area. She had but a few seconds to somehow get off that train…

***

Tripper and a sluggish Hernandez finally reached the top of the narrow stairs to a huge area with train tracks. There seemed to be two loading areas and no trains. Tripper looked for a central control room and he found a lookout area carved into the cave-like structure of the room. He proceeded towards it but from the corner of his eye, he saw his fellow companion bent over. He turned to check on him.

"What is it?" the commando asked the soldier.

"I'm not sure. My skin feels like it's on fire." Hernandez's hoarse voice strained to say.

There was a screech that made both men look up and across the tracks. It was a lone train moving rather slowly. Judging by the slow pace of the train, it had some juice left but not enough for wherever it was headed to.

"We gotta get to that train," Tripper suggested starting for it.

Hernandez took in a long breath.

"I'll try to get there, but I can't promise anything." He said.

Tripper looked into his friend's dark dilated pupils and saw pain in them. He didn't want to leave any of his crew behind no matter their condition. He leaned down to Hernandez's face and whispered:

"You're not going to die here, Eddie. I promise you that. But we gotta get that train before it leaves. It's the only way out of here."

Hernandez closed his eyes then lifted himself. He took in a long breath and stood as firm as he could.

"Just remember what I said…" Hernandez said.

"I haven't forgotten," Tripper replied.

The two started at first slowly then picked up towards the train that had now increased speed.

Even with his wounds, Tripper knew he had some life left to catch the locomotive but he wondered about Hernandez. To his shock, the undead soldier seemed to be swifter than the commando had thought. He caught up to the train and was able to catch one of the rails. He pulled himself up and reached out his hand for Tripper. The commando took it and climbed on board. The two leaned up against the metal exterior of the train relieved that they caught up.

"I don't remember you being so fast," Tripper said panting.

"I don't remember being that fast," Hernandez said shrugging it off.

"Well come on, let's get inside and see where this thing will take us," Tripper suggested.

They peered through the door and saw nothing inside. The floors were covered in something dark but this must've been the rear car while the first car had the control panel. Tripper reached down to open the door but it was locked. He took out his knife and used the tip to unlatch the locking mechanism. The door popped open and he entered in. With his weapon ready he examined the room with the attached chairs and metal sheet floors. It all appeared normal. Hernandez stepped forward and began to sniff the air. Tripper turned to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. But I don't think we're alone in here," he whispered.

Tripper narrowed his eyes and focused more as he aimed his gun in every way possible. He wanted to get a good shot of whatever was in the car with him and Hernandez. They walked cautiously further into the room wondering where the third party was.

"I don't see anything," Tripper whispered, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, positive. I can smell it," Hernandez slowly spoke.

Tripper wondered what else Hernandez could do. It was as if his friend was infected but the virus had not yet reached his mind. He wasn't a mindless zombie, he was something else. Was it possible that whoever Dorus killed could possibly come back similar to Hernandez? Tripper shook his head to this thought because if it were true then he, himself, would've turned into whatever Hernandez was slowly becoming.

A high pitch scream similar to what they heard before they jumped the train made them grab their ears. Hernandez looked up and saw the pale creature. Tripper looked up too. The creature snickered out at the two men then like a quick spider, it ran along the ceiling with rapid speed. When it reached the end of the surface, it dropped down and let out another scream. Tripper tried to shoot it but the creature seemed to move too fast for him. Hernandez put his hand up to his friend's gun and said:

"I'll get this…"

He then stepped in front of the creature. The creature instantly jumped on Hernandez sending the two in a struggle on the floor. Tripper tried to aim for the pale zombie but he didn't want to hit his friend, eventhough no bullet could penetrate Eddie's skin. He saw that Hernandez had got the creature in a headlock to a point where it was squirming. Hernandez then twisted its neck like it was nothing and pushed its body to the side. He stood up and looked over at the commando. Tripper was amazed.

"You know my skin doesn't feel so itchy anymore" he stated. Tripper looked to Eddie's neck and saw that the skin had fully grown back and all that was left was crimson red patches.

They continued onto the next door leading to the first car. Tripper looked in and saw that this time there were skeletal remains of Umbrella employees all over the floor and ahead was Arynn sitting on a chair while Peter was at the helm. There was something else that caught his attention. There was another one of those pale things holding onto the outside of the subcar window. Hernandez saw this and nodded.

"I'll take care of that thing." Tripper understood and used his knife once again to open the locking mechanism to the keyhole. Before he entered he put his hand on Hernandez's shoulder.

"Don't forget to come back. Remember we still gotta a mission to finish and a whole corporation to take down." He said.

Hernandez cracked a smile, "Of course…" He disappeared around the side of the car while Tripper slowly entered.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

So far all her attempts to get free failed. She couldn't leave through any of the doors because they were electronically locked and she couldn't take Peter out because he used the remote against her. This was the first time in her life that she was truly stuck and unable to do anything. She wondered where and if Tripper had survived. For the first time since the explosion, she needed help.

She looked away from the window and down towards the bones on the floor. It was a shame for the individuals who were innocently killed by whoever ever committed the crime. Did they all come down here together and get killed at the same time, or did they come in spurts and somehow fell victim to an unknown murderer? She took a breath and looked back up to where the creature was. To her shock, an individual was out there wrestling with the monster. She saw him throw the creature over board. Arynn strained to see who this person was. She recognized the face, "Hernandez" she questioned in a small whisper. He looked at her through the glass and she held her breath. It was impossible for him to be alive after what Dorus did to him. She tried to be careful not to say anything. He pointed to the exit and she nodded. When she turned, she saw Tripper stealthily making his way towards her. He put his finger to his lip signally for her to be quiet so she sat still. With his gun drawn he walked past her and up to Peter. Without hesitation he balled up his fist and drove an uppercut to the young man's side. Peter took the hit and crashed into the side of the control panel. He brought out a gun and aimed it at Tripper's chest. To the scientist's dismay, Tripper already had a gun aimed for his head. They stood locked in their positions ready to fire and take one another out.

"Arynn get out of here," Tripper called.

Peter started to laugh. "She can't go unless I tell her too…"

Tripper narrowed his eyes. Peter started to reach for his remote and Tripper's hand flinched on the trigger.

"Easy, boy," Peter called out. He took out a small black remote, pointing it in Arynn's direction, "I control her. She doesn't move unless I tell her to."

Tripper darted his eyes to Arynn then back to Peter. He was faced with quite a dilemma.

"Now, Joseph, if you don't mind, I do have a destination to reach."

The commando allowed the scientist to standup, still with his gun ledged into the young man's cranium.

"How do you know my name?" Tripper asked.

"It's simple really." Peter replied with a snicker. "Everyone should know the name of the man who single-handedly bombed a small mountainous town off the face of the earth."

Arynn suddenly felt her heart race and saw numerous flash back images of her life growing up in Raccoon City. It all came crashing to a halt when she saw the jet overheard heading for the small town. Then the tremendous vibrations of a large scale earthquake and loud crackle of a missile flying through the air had her pushing the gas pedal to get to safety. She could feel the on-coming of tears as she looked away, resting her eyes on the Umbrella remains. The last time she cried was when her boyfriend turned into one of those things and she had to leave him behind. She thought she would never have to shed a tear like that again…but she was wrong. Firming herself up and wiping away the tears, she didn't pass judgment on Joseph Tripper, she had already made up her mind of who she would pass judgment on…Umbrella. The corruptive corporation was the blame for the outbreak and the blame for the nuke not to mention the blame for allowing the experiments to continue to thrive and escape the imprisoned tomb of Raccoon City. It was time to take a stand no matter what would be sacrificed in the process.

Arynn stood up and walked over to Peter. She wasn't going to let that damned remote control her life. The scientist pressed the button as hard as he could. Arynn could feel the pain shoot up her abdomen but she kept coming. Peter then pressed the button on the side and Arynn fell down. She felt a disturbance in her stomach that made her drop down to her knees. Tripper head butted Peter, making the scientist fall back. He dropped the remote and Tripper caught it before it hit the floor. The commando put it in his pocket and gave the scientist another pounding.

The rear door opened and Hernandez entered. He saw the fallen Arynn and quickly came to help her. She flinched when she saw his disfigured face. He pulled her arm over his shoulder and helped her.

"What happened to you…I thought you were dead…" she asked as the pain still throbbed inside her stomach.

"Nah, I guess there was another path meant for me…" he said as he picked her up with his new found strength.

Arynn was amazed. She remembered the soldier screaming before being slaughtered by Dorus and now here he was revitalized and assisting her.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Don't mention it." The young soldier replied, "You're a part of the mission and there's still a mission to be completed."

"Yes, of course, a mission…" Arynn trailed off.

Tripper was finally done beating the scientist into unconsciousness. He turned towards his two companions with relief.

"How is she?" the commando asked dragging Peter's body over to the rear end of the subcar. He pushed the body onto its stomach then took out some wire cuffs and tied them tightly around the man's wrists. Tripper then propped the scientist up against a nearby wall.

"She's fine. She's in some pain though, Joe," Hernandez called. He put the young woman on some chairs and Tripper came over to check on her.

"I'll check the control panel—see where this baby is headed," Hernandez said.

"I didn't think you would make it this far," Arynn said with a slight smile.

"At times, I doubted myself." The commando stated, "but I realized that I couldn't die out there without finishing up what we all came out here to do."

"You know," Arynn started, "I don't blame you…"

"I was following orders…" Tripper said.

"Well, sometimes you have to choose when it's right to follow orders and when it's time to do your own thing."

"Yea, I'm learning that now."

"I think you have more to learn, Joseph." Arynn said as she put her hand on the commando's arm, "thank you for helping me."

"Anytime." He quietly replied.

The young woman gave the commando a simple smile.

"Hernandez!" Tripper called out as he stood up looking out the windows. The train was riding at a faster pace now.

"Yea!" the soldier called back.

"Any idea where this thing is going?"

"No on the location but ETO says 15.25 miles—10 minutes tops!"

Outside the windows, were still the dark cut outs of the cave. Light was starting to show the closer the train got to the end of the tunnel. Arynn saw the daylight and almost cracked a smile when she saw that the sun was finally out. Tripper breathed a sense of relief. Hernandez shielded his dilated pupils from the oncoming raises wondering what the next day would bring. Would he finally turn and become one of those hideous zombies roaming the scorched earth for food or would he evolve into something worse—either way he hoped for a peaceful death.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Arynn leaned up with what strength she would muster watching the two men stand at the helm of the subcar. The train passed the opening of the tunnel and rode out into the morning horizon. The sun reflected off of the sleek old metal of the train showing off the large scratches from Hernandez's struggle with the Civetateo. Tripper couldn't see where the tracks were leading to; all there was were thick clouds of settling dust and sand.

"We need to slow down" Tripper said.

"I've been trying to apply the breaks—" Hernandez answered.

"Stop the train!" Arynn yelled.

The two men looked at her. She was pointing to the side window at the outline of the crater.

"The train is headed straight for the edge!" she shouted.

"****!" Tripper replied.

"What about the ETO?" Hernandez shouted, "We still have miles to go before we reach the destination!"

There was an outburst of laughter coming from the rear of the train. The group looked to the commotion. Peter was chuckling against the wall with his hands still cuffed.

"What's so funny!" Tripper demanded.

Peter continued to laugh ignoring the commando's statement. Tripper rushed over and got in his face. He kicked him in the side.

"There never was an ETO!" Peter yelled as a bead of blood dripped off his lip, "I programmed the train at random to reach the outside." He started laughing again.

"Tripper!" Hernandez yelled.

"What!" Tripper called.

"We gotta get off this train."

Tripper looked back at the scientist.

"How the hell do we stop the train" he demanded.

"How should I know? I'm not an engineer…" Peter said struggling to lean back up against the wall. Tripper punched the man in the face. Peter opened his jaw and felt the blood in his mouth. He then spit it on the commando's shoe.

"We have to abandon the train." Tripper shouted, ignoring Peter.

Arynn could still see that the train was running a steady course. Its speed was not entirely fast but it still was dangerous to just simply jump out.

"Hernandez, get Arynn—go to the 2nd car—meet me there." Tripper ordered.

"What are you going to do?" Hernandez asked as he scooped up the young woman. She held on tightly to the soldier while the Commando stayed quiet.

"Just do it, Eddie. I'll follow you."

Tripper gave his friend an assuring smile then turned his back to the front of the train.

Arynn continued to watch the commando as Hernandez led her out of the first car and into the second. Whatever the lead commando had planned, she hoped it didn't mean sacrificing himself to just to carry it out.

Inside the second car, the sun beamed through various parts of the subcar revealing the carcass of a Civetato and other remains of animals who died long before. The soldier quickly went for the back door and opened it. The two were now facing lone tracks and the dark silhouette of a mountainous structure. Arynn narrowed her eyes, the structure was half natural and slightly man-made…it was like a big fortress…an Umbrella fortress. She wondered how long it had been there or was it recently constructed.

Hernandez led her along the side of the train. He stood waiting for Tripper. Arynn could see that the train was getting closer to the cliffs.

"Where is he? He should've followed us out by now," she said.

Hernandez remained quiet.

Back in the train, Tripper leaned against the wall with his arms folded watching Peter. The scientist watched the commando with scornful eyes.

"What's happening to my friend and why haven't I changed?" Tripper asked.

"The O-virus changes depending on blood type." Peter said.

"What's going to happen to Arynn?" the commando questioned.

"We have more planned for her." Peter strained to stand himself up against the wall. "It's not too late to get your cut…" the scientist insisted.

"What's in it for me and my friend?" Tripper asked.

"More than you will ever know."

"I'm going to make sure that you not only spend the rest of your life behind bars," Tripper started, "but I will personally see to it that all your little 'experiments' will be destroyed."

"Do what you want, I have my connections, there are others who know my formulas" Peter said, "If you join me, I'll make sure your name is cleared of all things related to Umbrella. I can do that, Joseph, I can give you back what dignity you lost that day. I can make it disappear and you can fly once again…"

The commando thought to himself, then grabbed the scientist by his arms and pushed Peter towards the door.

"I take that as a yes?" Peter asked.

"Well take that as, no matter what happens, I need you alive."

Outside, Arynn and Hernandez still were waiting. The soldier's body was twitching, he was hoping his colleague would come and then they could exit but he wasn't even sure if Tripper had plans on leaving.

"Let's go," called Tripper's voice from the rear of the car. Arynn and Hernandez looked to the side and saw a still tied up Peter followed by the lead commando.

Arynn held on tight to Hernandez as she could feel his muscles tense.

"Now!" she heard Tripper yell.

Hernandez launched Arynn out towards the desert and he followed closely. They tumbled harshly along the rocky desolate terrain. Tripper pushed Peter out and then he jumped off just as the rear train had reached the cliff and was about to plunge down to the ruins of the city below.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

All she could hear were murmuring coming of the others struggling to get up. Arynn looked around and saw Hernandez some feet away from her and Tripper farther. Arynn dragged her numbed legs over to Hernandez.

"Are you alright?" she questioned him.

"Yea" he replied as he wiped the sandy dust off his combat pants, "What about you?"

Arynn could feel her legs coming around and she was able to move them. The pain that she was experiencing on the train had subsided.

"I'm fine." She said.

He helped her up and the two walked over to Tripper. He wasn't moving.

"Tripper?" Arynn asked kneeling down next to him.

"Joe, you alright?" Hernandez asked.

"Ahh," the lead commando muttered as he sat up. He was holding the side of his head. Arynn could see that he had suffered a concussion. By the looks of it, he was losing blood. She started to tear some fabric from her pants but he put his hand on hers to stop her.

"Look in my pockets," he suggested.

She reached in and found some gauze, a syringe, and some vials of pain relievers. She started to unravel the gauze when he put his hand up.

"Only use the syringe on Hernandez…we need a sample of his blood—if anything happens…" he said. Arynn nodded her head.

When she was done, she and Hernandez helped the lead commando up. Tripper looked around.

"Where's Ashford?" he asked.

Hernandez glanced around, he then pointed to a figure lying down on the ground a few meters away. He and Arynn started for the man while Tripper stayed behind.

"Ashford, get up!" Hernandez shouted as they got closer.

"Don't be an ***hole, Peter," Arynn sarcastically called.

The scientist slowly rose. His hands were still cuffed while his face was all bruised and his pants were ripped revealing more flesh wounds.

"You know, next time you decide to throw me from a speeding train, you might want to do it in a more nicer fashion." He complained.

"Ahh, he's alright," Arynn cynically said.

"So what now?" Hernandez asked as he and Arynn turned to walk back to Tripper with Peter trailing behind.

"I'm not sure…" she said.

There was an eerie silence as the two walked. A slight breeze touched Arynn's ponytail and she felt the small hairs on her back twitch. Glaring back to check for Peter, she saw him standing still. Arynn nudged Hernandez to stop and he too turned. They watched the young scientist seem to blank out.

"Peter?" the young woman whispered as she noticed something not right about his posture. She started to walk towards him but Hernandez held her back.

"Wait," he said.

The soldier made his way over to the man cautiously.

"Ashford?" he called out.

Peter didn't seem to respond. Arynn walked a ways to the side to get a better look and noticed something attached to the back of the scientist—something slithering with a rhythmic movement. It was a tentacle of some sort coming from somewhere in the opposite direction. She couldn't see past the dust and knew that whatever was connected to the tentacle was close.

"Don't touch him," Arynn said. Hernandez silently backed away. The soldier narrowed his eyes. This seemed all too familiar to him. Then a flashback of Patterson came shot throw his mind.

"Arynn," he whispered, "Patterson did the same thing…"

"I know," Arynn replied, "but something's different about Peter. Something is holding onto him…"

Hernandez looked to the side and saw it too.

"What do you think it is?" he questioned.

"I don't know… I don't remember seeing anything like this back in the compound…"

Suddenly Peter's body was pulled back and he disappeared into the thin cloud of dust. The young woman and soldier stood quiet. They were not sure what to do. If they ran, would the tentacles come after them as well? And what about Tripper, did he see it too? There was only one way to find out. Arynn dashed out after Peter.

"Arynn, no!" Hernandez shouted as he ran after her.

All he could hear was the sound of his boots hitting the tough terrain and his own breathing. He shouted for Arynn but she didn't answer him. He called out Peter's name but the scientist didn't respond either. He wasn't sure if his new abilities would help him to fight up against whatever had taken Ashford yet he was still prepared to die like he should've back on the basement level.

"Hernandez!" he heard Arynn yell.

"I'm coming!" he answered.

The soldier stopped abruptly when he saw Arynn's back turned to him. She spun around and ran to him.

"Peter's gone. Whatever it was just took him."

The wind blew slightly moving the dust revealing a body. The two made their way slowly over.

Hernandez kicked the scientist once he got close enough to him. There wasn't a response. Arynn took out her knife and knealed down to investigate. She turned him over and gasped.

"What is it?" Hernandez asked.

She stepped away as fast as she could. Hernandez looked down and saw that there was black liquid oozing from the scientist's eye sockets, ears, nose, and mouth.

"What the ****!" the soldier called as he and Arynn ran from the ghastly sight. They ran as far as they could, hoping to catch up to Tripper.

"What's happening?" Tripper yelled watching the two run towards him.

"Dorus!" Arynn shouted running passed him.

"No wait! That's impossible, I watched that thing fall several stories down an elevator shaft!" the lead commando yelled.

"Then what oozes black blood?" Hernandez shouted running up to him.

"I don't know…but it can't be Dorus…" Tripper replied.

Hernandez helped Tripper while they tried to catch up to Arynn.

"No no…this doesn't make sense…" Tripper stopped abruptly, "Dorus is dead, nothing else can do what you say happened to Peter…"

Arynn stopped and walked back to the commando and soldier.

"Listen I know what I saw and Dorus had to have been on the train and got to Peter before we all jumped off."

"No…that's not it." Tripper said, "Peter had a cut on him before he came in with Danielle, didn't he?"

Arynn and Hernandez fell silent and thought back. It seemed so long ago.

"Yea he was wearing a bandage on his hand, I think," Arynn replied. She thought back to when she first encountered Peter after he saved her from the Gandharvas, even then he had the wound.

"Something must've got him before Dorus…" she suggested.

"Yea but what?" Hernandez replied

"We've all been infected in some way." Tripper called.

A loud high pitch scream came echoing from the distance and the group looked to the side instantly.

"What the **** was that?" Hernandez asked.

Beyond the dust, Arynn made out a rather tall figure with a toned muscular build. She looked to Tripper and she knew he noticed it too.

"You know who it is, don't you?" she whispered.

He looked over at her then back to the figure.

Arynn took out her knife while Tripper took out his gun. Hernandez stood watching the figure get closer.

"Who is it?" he asked the commando and young lady.

"Sabriel…" Arynn sternly said.

"What's that?" the soldier asked.

"Just get ready," Tripper said quietly, "Its Dorus' father…"

"Damn…" Hernandez said.

All three stood their ground. Armed. Loaded. Ready for the 9-foot tall dark humanoid steadily walking their way. This was it—the heart of Umbrella's research—the concept and the experiment that started it all and paved the way for future tyrants and creations alike.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Arynn could feel the fear emerge within her as the man stopped a few yards from them. And to think he used to be a relative of hers. Why did Umbrella do this? Why did they have to use her family for their ridiculous experiments? Why her? And what would've happen if Sabriel got passed them and went into the woods to infect the world? She couldn't let that happen no matter how much she wanted to understand him and save him.

"We can't let him go into the forests." She whispered.

"Of course not," Tripper said, "I plan on taking him out." Arynn looked and saw that the lead commando was holding a grenade.

"How long have you had that?" she asked.

"For a while, its my last one. I was saving it for something big."

Hernandez smiled and looked away, "Yup, good old Joe."

Tripper turned it on and threw it at the creature. They ducked and the bomb went off. A huge impact shook the ground while piles of sand and debris sprang in the air. They all looked to see if it worked and for a while they could see nothing.

"I think it injured him" Tripper said.

Suddenly there was a loud scream and Hernandez was instantly snatched up.

"No!" Arynn yelled following the direction of where Hernandez was abducted. She heard screaming from Sabriel and Hernandez struggling to fight.

The dust settled and she saw that Sabriel had Hernandez, holding him in the air. Hernandez was putting up a good fight, punching the creature with his new found strength. He seemed to be a worthy opponent. Hernandez punched the creature in its eyes and it dropped him. The soldier fell to his feet and instantly upper-cutted Sabriel. The creature fell but gained its footing and hit the soldier head on. Hernandez went down. The creature then picked him and up and pulled at his arms. Hernandez struggled to break free but Sabriel wouldn't budge. It let out a scream and two tentacles forced themselves out of its stomach and snapped around Hernandez's neck. The soldier started to cough and show signs of suffocation. The tentacles took on a sharp edge and drove themselves into soldier's shoulder making Hernandez scream in pain. They seemed to be sucking blood from his deep wound. Arynn ran up to Sabriel and jumped on to his back. She carved her knife firmly between his shoulder blades. He didn't budge. She then yelled:

"Nathaniel Residvius!"

The creature stopped what he was doing and threw down the limp Hernandez. Arynn jumped off and stood quiet with her knife drawn. Sabriel turned towards her blinking his eyes. He started to scream but to her amazement, the more he screamed, the more his voice started to project familiar sounds—sounds of words and syllables. Tripper ran over to Hernandez then kneeled down to assist him while Arynn had the creature's attention.

"How…" the creature recited. "My name…"

"I know who you are," she replied stepping back as he inched closer.

"Who…" he pronounced, "you…"

"My name is Arynn," she called out looking over at Tripper and seeing him take out the syringe and vial.

"Arynn Residvius…"

The creature stopped and blinked his eyes again. He let out multiple screams echoing throughout the crater and forest making birds and other wildlife scatter.

"No!!!" he yelled. He began to step back.

"Not poss—ible" he muttered.

"What is not possible?" she questioned him.

"Not exist!" he said.

"What. I don't understand. I'm not supposed to exist?" Arynn asked straining to understand his broken language.

He turned around and walked. She followed.

"No wait, what do you mean?" she probed.

"No!" He slapped her away and she fell back.

"Bastard!" Tripper whispered as he went after the creature.

"No!" Arynn yelled, "Don't get close to him!"

The commando balled up his fist and clinched his teeth. He wanted to get rid of this thing. He had enough of Umbrella's mutations. This was just another monster that Umbrella could hide behind. It was time to put an end to the madness. Before he could do anything, he heard a noise...faint at first but slowly becoming louder. Arynn stood listening too. Tripper ran to help her up and then the two came to Hernandez.

"Is he dead?" she asked.

"Close…" he said, "I got the sample just in case."

Through the cloud of dust, they saw a black helicopter.

"It's the cavalry," Tripper said.

"For you or for Peter?" Arynn asked.

"I don't know," he answered her.

The copter came and circled around the group. Someone from high above fired a few wide-shot shogun tranquilizers into Sabriel and the creature was out. The copter landed with another one close by. Two men dressed in black combat suits and Umbrella insignias on their arms came forward.

"You're coming with us," the first one demanded.

"The hell I am," Tripper said getting up.

"You have no choice, sir," the man said as he and his assailant fired tranquilizer bullets into Tripper sending him down as well.

They looked over at Arynn and she immediately started to run. One of the men fired a round and it hit her in the back sending her tumbling. The Umbrella pilot ran up to her and flipped her over. She let out a groan.

"We found you, Residvius." He whispered and fired a shot into her stomach.

She was out.


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue:

"The rate of cellular growth is phenomenonal…"

"Her blood has a resistance to known medicines. She is in fact a carrier. How she is able to retain normal function is a miracle."

"Ashford was right, she is special. She always has been."

The pain of needles in her arms and cold detection rubber pads on her chest reading her life signs made her open her eyes. She had an aspirator over her mouth and nose and the artificial air she was breathing had a sickly stench to it. Someone removed it from her face and she was able to breath fresh air. She felt cold drafts underneath the material they had her covered in. She felt vulnerable and exposed. Where was she and how long was she out? Turning her head to the side, Arynn saw someone lying in a stretcher. The person was hooked up to a heart meter machine and his heartbeat was weak. A few people dressed in white scrubs and masks were huddled around him. Arynn's vision was still feable and readjusting to the intensity of the operating lights. She wanted to use her hand to shield them but she couldn't move her arms. They were restrained; she just didn't have the ability to move them.

"Welcome back, Miss Residvius," came a soothing voice from somewhere in the room.

She tried to look around but her body would not cooperate to make her neck move.

"I bet you're wondering what's going on?" the voice said, "Well you're at headquarters."

A tall man appeared in front of the bright lights with a mask covering his mouth and nose only revealing his eyes. She couldn't make out their color.

"I'm Doctor Davis Harving, Lead Researcher for the Umbrella United Kingdom sector. My team of expert surgeons and volunteers have successfully removed the mass amount of bacterial growth from your abdomen and have stored it for further research. You are lucky that we got to you sooner."

Arynn muttered a few words and the doctor kneeled closer.

"Where are the others?" she whispered.

The doctor pointed to the man in the stretcher to her side and then another individual across the room. She looked back to the man adjacent to her and began to recognize him.

"Lieutenant Eddie Hernandez had lost a great deal of blood. At first we thought he was dead, but we were amazed to find that he had survived his injuries due to his exposure to the virus. Your friend is fine. We have kept around the clock watch over him."

"And Tripper?" she asked.

The doctor became involved in a whispering conversation with a few of his colleagues. Arynn narrowed her eyes. She could feel her legs and arms start to twitch and the pain of the many needles embedded in them grew more intense. She let out a moan. The doctor looked back at her and put his hand to her forehead.

"Listen, Arynn. Joseph Tripper is no longer in this facility. We were forced to move him into a more secluded sector. His exposure to the virus had much violent percussions. We could not take the chance in keeping him here."

Thoughts of Tripper back at the foot of the crater made her think of what could've became of him. He showed no sign of infection. Hernandez mutated but Tripper remained the same. She tried to force herself up. The doctor held her down.

"Relax. You are in no condition to move. When you are ready, we will assist you. I know you will have many questions and when the drugs have worn off, I will answer them for you."

The doctor left the room, leaving her to look at the ceiling.

"Wait…" she whispered but unable to project her voice.

Someone came up behind her stretcher and wheeled her out of the blue tiled room and down a well lit hall. She watched the lights overhead come in and out of view. She turned her head and saw that she was passing rooms with people dressed in white operating on individuals through clear glass windows. Arynn wondered if these poor individuals were like her—infected but unique or regular victims of Umbrella's continuous research. She wanted to escape Umbrella not come back to it.

The stretcher came to a stop at an elevator and Arynn was wheeled inside. She could feel a sense of drowsiness come over her. Her eyelids forced closed and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Moments later, she came to, in a room with an overhead lamp, a small table to the side, and a window. The curtains were opened and she could see the light blue sky outside. Arynn leaned up in the bed observing the room. It was simple and reminded her of a hospital. There was no television but there was a newspaper neatly folded on table. The door opened and in came a tall man in a doctor's coat.

"Doctor Harving, I presume?" she asked.

"Yes," the man confirmed walking over to her. He took out a small pen with a bulb on the end and shined it into her eye. Her pupils adjusted showing signs of normal motor skills.

He went to the table and brought the chair over to her beside. The doctor sat down and half crossed his legs. He took out a clipboard and regular pen to start taking notes. Arynn signed and leaned again bedpost.

"I take it, the pen and paper are for questions you have for me?" she asked.

"That is true. Its not everyday that I meet a survivor of the virus able to talk and hold full on conversations with," he started, "Now, what were you doing in Raccoon City when the helos came?"

Arynn inhaled and spoke:

"Why was Tripper taken away?" she blurted.

"Now now, Arynn, I believe I asked a question first. It is only fair to answer it." The doctor suggested.

"Fine. I was there looking for a cure."

"A cure to the T-Virus?" he questioned.

"A cure in general." She answered, "The virus had spread past Raccoon. I saw it." Arynn replied.

"Where did you see the outbreak?"

"It's not where, it's when. I saw it right after I first left Raccoon, when the nuke hit."

"Why didn't you alert the authorities?"

"Because," Arynn sighed, "they were the ones infected. They had tried so hard to escape the explosion, that many of them got outside the cities already infected but not turned."

"Alright. Where did you live during the years before you came back to ground zero?" he asked.

"Far away."

"More specific please," the doctor said.

"I didn't want to be close. I wanted to be as far as possible. Arizona."

"What was out in Arizona?"

"Damn it, why so many questions!" she lifted her voice, "I want to know where is Tripper and where is Sabriel!"

The doctor rose from the chair with a stern look.

"I have already told you where your friend is. That is all that I can say."

"What about Sabriel? Or is that top secret too?" Arynn sarcastically replied.

"There is no need to get upset, Arynn. We have reopened the Sabriel project and are conducting further studies on his cell structure. He is under secure lockdown."

"Do you realize what you people have done here!" Arynn rose on her bed standing among the sheets, "Do you understand what you have done to me and my friends not to mention my family? You have destroyed everything that I have ever come to love and appreciated in this world. I came back to this madness to put an end to it and I don't care who I kill to do it. I will not stand by while you take another child and create another 'miracle'!"

Arynn jumped off the bed startling the doctor. He began to back up. She followed him. He dropped his light pen and she picked it up.

"See this?" she questioned him, he remained quiet, "I could easily shove this into your eye and kill you here and now. If I am a carrier is the O-Virus, I could start another viral outbreak right in your own 'secure' facility! But I am not like you people. I do not play god with others' lives and declare it research."

She started to point the pen at his pupil. He reached for a button on the wall but she took his arm and snapped it. The doctor grabbed it screaming in agony. She leaned down with a smile, staring into his watering eyes. She took the pen and pressed it against the pumping artery in his neck.

"Now, Davis," she quietly whispered, "Where is Eddie Hernandez and Joseph Tripper? And if you don't answer me correctly, I will take you out with this pen and not blink doing it. So if you value anything in this world, you will answer me…"

The doctor stopped screaming and exhaled heavily.

"Eddie Hernandez is on level 2, Joseph is on level 4. Please don't kill me," he begged, "You wont get far in your condition."

"The hell I won't," Arynn called out at she swung her leg around and kicked him, twisting his head, killing him instantly. She grabbed the cardkey off of his coat and walked over to the table. She came to the paper and opened it up.

_Dead walk once again. Parliament at odds as country faces mass quarantines._

The young woman narrowed her eyes then started for the door. It was happening again. She had to get to Eddie and Joe. Would the government go for nukes again or did they plan on using military force this time? Arynn had to do something before another Ground Zero would abruptly happen…

She looked up and saw that there was a camera watching her. Without hesitation, she jumped up and punched out the lens. Hernandez wasn't the only one with endowed strength, seems like hers was unleashed the moment they took out her growth. She had to find that too and destroy it or else Project Residvius would continue. She opened the door and quickly ran down the hall. Some Umbrella guards saw her and trucked after her. She reached an elevator and jumped in. When the doors closed she pressed the button for level 2. In a few minutes she would find the right clothes and the right weaponry and get ready to take on Umbrella.


End file.
